Guys with Kids

One of this fall's new shows that I am really enjoying is called Guys with Kids.   There were a couple things that really intrigued me about this new show: Jimmy Fallon created it and it is about people my age raising kids in modern times.  There are some pretty good examples of non-stereotypical gender roles in this show, too. For example, one of the dads, Gary, is a stay-at-home-dad raising four boys, two of which are twins.  This goes against what we typically expect as a society.  There are quite a few episodes that play on this exception, like when Gary demands a day off, and his wife stays home with the kids all day; that is quite a disaster on both ends.

 Here is another example, where he and his friends are talking about different parenting styles. Some go along with our culturally accepted gender roles, and some go against them.

Zumba

Last week I tried something new at the gym: Zumba.  It is something that I've wanted to try for a while, but each time I attempted to go in the past, I either chickened out or the class was canceled. 

Not sure what Zumba is, go here: Zumba

The class itself was really small, maybe eight other women were there, and I was the youngest one.  Once the music started going, I got a lot more comfortable.  The thing I observed, though, was that the instructor used very little verbal communication.  To get our attention, she used sounds like slaps and whistles. For example, to let us know we would begin kicking or stepping forward, she would slap the thigh of the one we should lead out with.  If we were going to begin a new motion, she would whistle, so we would look at her and follow along with the change.  If she felt like someone, or the class as a whole, wasn't given enough energy, she would mock laziness with her body posture, facial expression, and gestures.  If someone was doing things really well, she would whistle, point at her, and give her a thumbs up.  She was able to help the class without ever saying a word.  It was really neat because she never interrupted the music, which was good for me.  I don't have the best rhythm or coordination, so the less distraction, the better for me. 

Source: http://tipsfor2012andbeyond.blogspot.com/2012_05_01_archive.html

Coffee Confession

Today was the first day of second quarter's Interpersonal Communication class.  We completed the same verbal/nonverbal tennis ball activity as last quarter and with similar instructions. Before starting, though, everyone had to share his/her name and something about his/her day so far.  I shared that I had some delicious buttered rum (flavored) coffee this morning.  I realized, based on the facial expressions and snickers by some, that not everyone was aware of what buttered rum was/is.  I realized that the way students perceived me may have changed, and not for the better.  Later in class I brought up the situation and clarified that there was no rum or alcohol in buttered rum flavored coffee; buttered rum flavoring is much like butterscotch, but just a little richer.  There were a few students who nodded in agreement, but it was clear to me that a handful of students had never heard of it before.  What a first impression I must of made to those who thought I would actually put rum in my morning coffee!  It really makes me wonder what perception students have of me...

Image courtesy of: http://www.candyfavorites.com/candy/mints-and-breath-fresheners/lifesavers

 

"War of the Roses" and Relationships

One of the main ideas of chapter eight in Interpersonal Communication is relationships, and the chapter starts of talking about the six stages of relationships. We are bombarded by relationships in media, relationships at all stages. When I was first reading about deterioration and dissolution, I couldn't help but think about "War of the Roses" on 101.3 KDWB.  If you have never heard the segment on the Dave Ryan Early Morning Show, it goes something like this:  a listener suspects that his/her significant other is being unfaithful or dishonest. Someone on the show calls the suspected lair/cheater with a face cell phone company survey.  If the liar/cheater completes the survey, they get to send "one dozen red, romantic roses" to a person of the their choosing. The idea is that if they send the roses to someone other than the listener who set it up, then the liar/cheater is guilty.  Not every call-in goes this route, but they usually do. Within ten minutes, you get the background information the the relationship (usually including the contact stage) as well as the deterioration, possibly an attempt at repair, and then I'd say 90% of the time, dissolution.  I'll leave a link below for the "War of the Roses" archive, but please note that I am not assigning this as homework or anything.  Some of the topics discussed are not topics we would talk about in the classroom (that's your disclaimer).

War of the Roses archive

Hair today...done tomorrow

"Important Haircut" alexsguide.net

This past weekend, I got my hair cut.  Now this was no little hair cut.  In the longest places, I lost nearly 10 inches of hair! I walked in to Becky, my hairdresser for nearly 16 years, knowing that I wanted it cut pretty short.

This is the shortest I have ever gone, and it was a bit of a shock at first. When I went to wash it, I was amazed at how little was left in the back, and when I went to work out, I didn't really know what to do with it; it is far too short for a ponytail. 

Although I do like the short cut and style, I was a little anxious what other people would think of it.  I got a lot of compliments on Monday at school; most of them seemed sincere. After Mrs. McCall and Mrs. Enders called it "sassy," I was feeling a lot better about the big change. This is an example of a concept called "looking-glass self." The idea is that as others share how they see you, you begin to see yourself that way too. This also relates to self-concept and perception.

Interpersonal Communication in Action

Last night was parent-teacher conferences.  As the night progressed, I was a bit surprised by how many of the concepts we have discussed this quarter were put into action.  Over the course of the evening, I was an active listener to both parents and students, I used empathy with parents, I witnessed a few examples of self-disclosure, I witnessed varying perspectives between parents and their children (some in attendance, some not), and I was reading a large variety of nonverbal communication cues, both positive and negative.  I also used quite a few purr words when appropriate, but I didn't use any snarl words!  It was really interesting to look back and reflect on the communication that occurred over those three hours, and I'm very satisfied with how things went. 

Source: http://blogs.besd.net/jamie-kent/2010/10/17/dont-forget-parent-teacher-conferences/

No culture too small

We have talked about culture and its influence on communication off and on since the beginning of the quarter.  We've connected culture to gender, religion, geographic location, and career/work place. Most cultures have their own language and rules of etiquette that are learned over time. One culture we haven't referenced is that related to pop culture and related interests. 

It's homecoming week, and today's movie theme is The Hunger Games.  I am a pretty big fan of the book series, and the first movie was good as well.  Knowing the book and movie, I have been fortunate enough to be a part of The Hunger Games culture that is showing itself today.  I've heard verbal messages associated to the movie ("May the odds be ever in your favor"), there have been artifacts that have special meaning to The Hunger Games culture (silver parachutes, sugar cubes, loaves of bread), and even nonverbal messages through appearance connecting students and staff to this particular culture.  I was even give a silver parachute from my sponsors this morning!