teaching

Talking to our communities Dennis Sleigh

ecently, I was doing some work with a few The success of the groups; let us aim for the same feeling in our colleagues who are pursuing their Masters communicator often depends community through our written and spoken Rdegrees, and they were asked to develop communications. a metaphor for curriculum. Th ey came up with on the person’s enthusiasm some very interesting ideas – curriculum is a and relevance Communication as a crime thriller pizza, curriculum is a fruit salad, curriculum It’s not unusual to hear people argue strongly is an Olympic Games, and so on. We had some for their preferred crime shows: one might like fun (well, I know I did) exploring these ideas so peanut butter sandwich. the Danish Th e Eagle, another might opt for I decided to apply it to some other aspects of my I hope we have also left the lecture and sat Morse’s controlled mayhem in Oxford, while work as an educational leader. One area that came down with a tutor who presented the same a third might be thrilled by an Australian to mind was communication within the school material but in a way that engrossed us. If you police sergeant, Tom Croydon in a rerun of community, whether by principals or teachers. have had this experience, you will recognise that Blue Heelers. Whatever our tastes, we probably I thought that the following fi ve metaphors it is not what we say that matters, but how we say justify them by referring to the great story lines, might provide us with a range that that it. A tenured lecturer might think his insights the witty dialogue, or the level of action in would help us to assess the true nature of our into the topic are enthralling, but a part-time each episode. In each case, we are praising (or communication with our community. Th e tutor, dependant on his stipend to pay his rent, condemning) the communication of the message nature of metaphor is that is an open-ended knows that his success depends on engaging by the producer and the actors. expression, and you might read into each of with his audience, and drawing from them the It is oft en said that teachers (and this should mine a diff erent message to the one that I am knowledge that will get them through the course. include administrators) are actors, so it should proposing; but that is not important. I ask only Th e success of the communicator oft en depends surprise no-one if our words and actions are that you see if there is some applicability of on the person’s enthusiasm and relevance. carefully vetted by our audience, the school these metaphors to the way you communicate, I’ve heard school principals bore their community, with many a critical comment passed and whether you can learn a lesson – positive or audiences on speech night, and I’ve heard others on what people see. I am pleased that they do not negative – from the process. enthral the captive group. Don’t think that because expect Gold Logie performance every week, but I we have a position of authority, we are assured of think we make a serious error if we think we can Communication as a university a positive reception. Our hearers might be polite, pour out the same stuff , week aft er week. I think it tutorial but they will not be convinced unless we really would be safe to say, in developing the metaphor We’ve all sat through boring university lectures have something to say and say it well. of a crime thriller, that our audience wants to have and wondered why we are enrolled in a course Let us recall our favourite tutors and see some constancy and some variety each week. that is less appetising than a pineapple and what sense of excitement they garnered in their Without a doubt, consistency is fundamental –

44 Education Today – Term 4 2012

Education Today – Term 4 2012 45 teaching

no-one likes to see a school bobbing about like Our audience wants to for gardeners, or past the houseful refuse section a ping pong in a washing machine – but we also have some constancy and where I marvelled at the things that our throw- like the idea that a school will be a responsive away society deems unworthy of keeping, or past organism within the community, refl ecting the some variety each week the DrumMuster collection site where farmers current preoccupations of the community itself, safely dispose of their used chemical drums, I was whether that means reporting on pupil progress Communication as a religious impressed by the range of services off ered here. aft er NAPLAN, supporting the local footy team in ceremony Th ere was the usual range of recycled bottles and the grand fi nals, or recognising the third place won I’m sad to note that today fewer people are cans (though nothing yet for plastics) plus facilities by the school in the regional eisteddfod. Balanced attending church regularly, and maybe there for the safe disposal of asbestos and it was clear change is a sign of life; no-one should be allowed is a warning here: maybe the church services that a lot of thought had gone into the complex. to suspect that a school is dying. Communicating were not as appealing as church authorities Th e parallel with school communication with the community is one way to convey an thought. However, there is something to learn came all too quickly. I skipped over the appropriate message about a vital institution. from church services – again given the caveat obvious barb – there is nothing but rubbish in this newsletter – and started to think of the Communication as a family meal that this phrase “religious service” will mean diff erent things to diff erent people. For one it huge amount of detail in newsletters. Some, of Using metaphors is a risky business because might be the sombre and measured actions of course, are not unlike the traditional tip – items the comparisons might be read differently a conservative group of elderly worshippers; for everywhere, diffi cult to retrieve and not much by different members of the audience. This another it might be the joy and involvement of use for the user. Others have a far more modern really struck me as I started to develop this a Hillside happening. When we try to share our face with lots of fonts and styles, perhaps section of the article: comparing a school’s views with other people, we must recognise the displaying multiple authors, and even colourful communication program with a family meal. existence of diff erent groups of listeners and photos. Finally, there are those that are written Throwing around some of my main ideas with as far as possible we should try to match our with the reader in mind. a small group of friends, I quickly realised message with our meeting. No-one wants to visit every section of a garbage that each of us had a totally different vision Religious ceremonies are an interesting complex every week; perhaps not everyone really of a family meal. For one person it was an phenomenon: they usually off er a standard wants read every word in the newsletter. (Th e same occasion where the entire family sat together program, but they vary it by presenting new can be said of other school communications such and talked over the events of the past week hymns or current prayer themes. Again, our as speech nights, parent-teacher meetings, and – the time that had elapsed since their last communication should off er some stability, some even concerts, but the choice is less available there family meal. For another, it evoked a picture change. Just as none of us would like to show for those who wish to skip the unwanted bits!) Th e of several people sharing a table and little up week aft er week and hear exactly the same task of the reader, then, should be made easier else, as they consumed their various favourite sermon, so none of us should think we can get by ensuring that the feel-good message from the foods and continued to do what they had been away with the same formula in our newsletter Principal is not caught up with the detailed results doing when the meal was called – one read, each week, or our graduation address each year. of last week’s cricket match and the date of the two others chatted about a film to be seen on If sport is the highlight of this week’s coming street stall. TV that night, and another was engrossed newsletter, use next week to satisfy the non- School communications are not rubbish – so in some Facebook messages on her android. sporting parents who want to hear about why tip them all together? Indeed, none of us had a view that matched academic programs or recent excursions. I’m a my own version, and my friends suggested I A concluding thought great believer in a standard format in newsletters was living in a dream world. It is essential that get our message across to the because this helps the reader to know where I took the hint and looked for a clear signal stakeholders – a dreadful word, but how else can to place their attention. However, while you from this confusion: no matter where we are we sum up parents, carers, students, teachers, might always start with the Principal’s News, coming from, as communicators we must be sponsors, local community and system authorities? and end with the Calendar of Coming Events, very sensitive to the background, knowledge Sharing the message should not be something that respect your readers by off ering some signifi cant and attitudes of our audience. If you are writing is left until the day of the communication itself. variation within the sections each week. to the parents in a community where sport is Th ink ahead; consider the audience; work out who revered, don’t bother explaining to them that is going to contribute; ensure that the end product your school is pulling out of all local sports Communication as a garbage is carefully scrutinised before the parents see or competitions because the standard of singing dump hear it, and try to get across all the thoughts that in the school needs serious work! Similarly, if Th is section was originally planned as need to be expressed so that we can win further you live in an insular community, don’t try to communication as a whirlpool but recently as part supporters for the marvellous work of education tell them they must become more involved of my duties as a newly elected Shire Councillor, – and in the meantime, keep doing all the other in solving the food crisis in Central Africa. I visited our local tip and I started to see some things educators do to lead education in their Instead, if you feel you must embark on such useful parallels, usable in any discussion about community. ET noble crusades, look at ways – over time – by metaphors. Besides, I had never actually seen a whirlpool, so to discuss that topic was risky. which you can bring about attitude change or Dennis Sleigh, a retired Now I should make it clear that I have oft en increased awareness. principal, now acts as a visited our local tip, whether to compensate for Communication is a complex process and leadership consultant. He has having forgotten to put out my garbage bin or you can hope to bring about change only if been awarded Fellowships by to get rid of piles of garden refuse or even some you are prepared to follow logical and well- both ACE and ACEL and is unwanted white goods that had been replaced. timed strategies. Whatever we do, we must a successful writer, with four However, this recent trip was diff erent. I was realise one person’s eff ective communication books (two co-authored) and there to acquaint myself with the total complex, is another’s boring diatribe. We need to study over 250 articles to his credit. Contact him at including our odourless sewerage treatment our community, learning from feedback, and [email protected]. decide just what sort of communication is most plant. As I drove past the lawn clipping section appropriate for our current audience. which would eventually produce useful compost

46 Education Today – Term 4 2012