Communication Star

I met Dr. Paris my sophomore year of undergraduate studies. She was ethereal. Her voice was soft and kind. It was as if you could hear her smile in her words. When she spoke to anyone, you could just feel that she was listening. When I had first met her, she was simply a face in the Early Childhood Studies. I knew her name, as she was guaranteed to be my professor later in my studies. I had never hear anything negative about her as a person, simply that when you were in her class you had a chance to become involved in something bigger than you.

Dr. Paris, unsurprisingly, taught a course highlighting professional issues in early childhood. She was always working to provide us students with opportunities to grow independently, but also to grow as a collaborative unit. Throughout the time spent in her course, she shared a wide range of perspectives. SHe provided opportunities for open forum discussions, always restating and validating what the students would share. Regardless of if a student's statement was totally off topic, or seemingly failing to grasp the concepts discussed, Dr. Paris never responded as if an idea were wrong. She would ask more probing questions to better understand the thought process responsible for ideas shared. She allowed for self-reflection of students, but also shared her own process of self-reflection. Though she sat in a position of power, leading students through course work she was responsible for teaching, she always shared ultimate honesty. Her honest approaches to interactions, combined with a lack of judgement, and a clear presence of compassion, Dr. Paris helped me to grow a foundation of effective communication.

Each day, I work my hardest (successfully or not!) to think first before responding to ideas. When people speak to me, I work to listen before thinking. I even find that I often have to stop my mind from predicting what someone might say, and simply wait to hear their voice. Dr. Paris taught me what it feels like for sometime to value my own voice. From that, I plan to take her lessons and examples, and constantly work to grow my own ability to share that feeling with the individuals I meet.