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Communication does matter when working with colleagues. As Heidi MacDonald points
out in her article, Communicating Effectively with All Colleagues, Even “Difficult” Ones,
“effective communication is an indispensable tool for helping to ensure that all parties
understand how they play an essential role in a student’s development (2011). A school is full of
teams who should have the same goal in mind, providing the highest level of instruction for the
students who attend. However, any team can have one or two players who are “oppositional,
unsupportive, or adversarial” (MacDonald, 2011), which might require special skills and tips to
help navigate times when communication is difficult between colleagues.
One tip is for teachers to be flexible as well as accessible (MacDonald, 2011), letting
people know when and how to get in touch with them in order to discuss problems that concern
their team. This is important because sometimes teachers become frustrated, especially when
they feel they are facing situations such as challenging students and pressure from administration
(MacDonald, 2011) by themselves. Flexibility and accessibility can allow people to see each
other as approachable.
Another tip is to keep the “I” out of TEAM (MacDonald, 2011). Even if one teacher is
the team leader or specialist, all team members should have an equal voice “collaborating with
colleagues towards a common goal- student achievement” (MacDonald, 2011). When all people
on the team are treated as equals with similar goals, the language they will communicate is
“curriculum and grade-level expectations” (MacDonald, 2011), which has a lower ability to
cause conflict.
A final important tip that MacDonald mentions is to use personal communication skills
when working with colleagues (2011). An example of good communication skills is to “give
your undivided attention to the speaker” (MacDonald, 2011) and to wait until they are finished
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talking before responding. This will allow other teachers to know their coworkers are listening to
them, which could promote better relationships.
From a Christian standpoint, there is James 1:19, “Everyone should be quick to listen,
slow to speak, and slow to become angry” (NIV) is an excellent verse to pray on when trying to
communicate effectively with colleagues, especially difficult ones. If more people on a team
could abide by this bible verse, there would be fewer problems feeling as if they are not being
heard during correspondence and meetings. It would also be a reminder that the last thing
colleagues should do is get angry when they work together but instead listen.
