Better communication = better relationships: Tips for caregivers

We all live in a social environment with others. Indeed, ... we desire and seek out relationships with others, and we have personal needs that can be satisfied only through interacting with other humans (Johnson, 1986). It is not possible to think of living without relating to other people, nor is it possible to develop satisfying relationships without some sort of communication. Communication skills are the tools, the means, the mechanism through which we develop our relationships. Just as a carpenter would not expect to produce a fine piece of furniture with a blunt saw, neither should we assume that we can develop productive relationships with other people, such as children and their parents, colleagues or professional associates, using inadequate or ineffective communication skills. Johnson (1986) suggested that interpersonal skills are learned just as any other skills are learned. However, simply having learned communication skills is not enough! We need to continually practice these skills and occasionally be reminded of their value for interacting with and developing relationships with others. This, therefore, is a small reminder that all of us, caregivers and parents alike, can do with sharpening up our style of communicating with others and learn to create better and more satisfying human relationships!Jillian Rodd is a psychologist who lectures at the School of Early Childhood Studies, University of Melbourne, Australia. She acts as a consultant in parent education and in-services child care staff and for preschool teachers.     

Assessing conditions to enhance student success: How six campuses got started

The Inventory for Student Engagement and Success (ISES) uses evidence from educationally effective institutions to help campuses gain a better understanding of their work with students. Campuses of varying sizes, with diverse missions, are using ISES to solve problems and improve educational practices.     

Can schools successfully meet their educational aims without the clear support of their local communities?

This short article explores some of the challenges and complexities of engaging with school communities, particularly in diverse urban contexts. The author argues for a new relationship between schools and communities which is developed by grappling with the concept of community; developing tools to ‘read’ and make sense of the community context; working with communities to redefine the notion of school success; and building trusting relationships. She concludes by suggesting that, in a global context in which many city communities are marginalized or isolated, the notion of developing a reciprocal relationship between schools and communities is not an optional extra. Only by working together will they be able to enrich the lives of young people and increase their sense of self-worth and well-being.     

Does Professional Suitability Matter? A National Survey of Australian Counselling Educators in Undergraduate and Post-Graduate Training Programs

This Australian national study was undertaken to profile the unsuitable counselling student, and to achieve greater operational specificity to guide counselling educators who must make critical decisions that impact admittance to the counselling profession. Findings suggest that in every 25 students as many as three will have questionable suitability for counselling, evidenced primarily by problems associated with self awareness and interpersonal issues, areas of functioning that are rarely systematically or objectively assessed. Such students are likely to be identified via skills-based classes and, of concern, at least half of these students “slip through the gate” and go on to graduate. Discussion addresses implications for educators.     

School Students' Ideas About Air Pollution: Hindrance or Help For Learning?

School students are thought to have an insecure knowledge about the `science' of the air, yet the popular media often feature issues about air pollution, which may either confuse students further, or offer teaching opportunities. This study used a free-form questionnaire to explore 1011 year old students' ideas about the nature of air pollution, and its biological and physical effects. Many think that `gases' pollute the air, using the term in a general, non-scientific sense. However, some students can name individual pollutants (CFCs, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide), perhaps because they associate them with well-known environmental problems. Transport and industry were seen as the main sources of pollutants. Most students stated that air pollution will kill plants and animals. Although fewer thought this true of humans, many thought that people will become ill, with a quarter of the students raising the specific problem of asthma. Some students thought that buildings will be unaffected by air pollution, but many wrote that they would be damaged or become discolored. The view that students' ideas from out-of-school sources, coupled with their intrinsic concern for the environment, may offer starting-points for teaching curriculum science is discussed.     

Professional Development Skills for Civil and Environmental Engineers

This paper gives a historical review of the events which have given rise to the need for an undergraduate course module for civil and environmental engineers in ‘professional development skills’ (PDS). A framework is proposed for PDS which integrates the best of existing programmes with new material relevant to the needs of tomorrow's engineers.