And the Best Communicator Award goes to..

My dearest friend, Terri, has to be the most effective communicator I know. She listens attentively to whomever is speaking, is highly sensitive to non-verbal and environmental cues, and responds appropriately with whatever is needed at the time – support, advice, admonition. Terri and I met during the first semester of our secondary ed program at ASU but, according to her, I was a complete snot to her until the next term! But once we “met” and got to know each other we became fast friends; despite the distance that has separated us for years, we can still pick up where we left off every time.

I often find myself wishing I shared Terri’s gift for communication (and perhaps after this course I will have come closer). I hang up the phone and realize that I have monopolized the conversation or part ways wondering if I was as available to her as she has always been for me. Of the things that I admire the most are her abilities to stand for her convictions and to read a situation almost instantaneously. She will never give advice or support in a way that conflicts with her beliefs, and she is exceptionally aware of the surroundings and how they may potentially effect herself and others. More importantly sometimes is her amazing aptitude for picking up on cultural idiosyncrasies (no negative connotation intended) and respond sensitively without any noticeable effort at all! When we taught together my first year, I learned so much about the cultures at our schools that helped me survive an environment in which I had never before been exposed.