reflections on September 22 and speaker

One of Mr. Meehan's first statements was that we learn by making mistakes - hopefully. This is something we all need to remember as we begin new positions and experiences. I did not realize that Iowa law concerning collective bargaining had been in place as long as it had, but have not been involved in the bargaining process. It made sense to me that the fire fighters and police did not want to strike. This would seem to put many in danger; wouldn't someone in their position take this issue seriously and want to avoid disaster?

While "good faith" is not defined, there seems to be a basic understanding of what it means. It would be hard for me to put this into words to explain it to someone else, but it is basically having an obligation to explain why something is wanted or why it is turned down. It is NOT wrong to say no to something, but there should be a reason. In group work, it has always been considered more productive to keep the groups small, such as he discussed with keeping the teams at 5 or under.

When we were discussing some of the negotiation process in our group, it suddenly dawned on me that it was important that notes be taken even during these discussions to help us review what was discussed and how we determined what was important to us to negotiate. Sometimes I wish that I had a tape recorder in my classroom to review what was said and help students realize that they sometimes say things that they should not. I have noticed that it is often difficult to take notes, stay on track with what is being said while I am typing and that it is difficult to join in the discussions when trying to make sure that I have all of the information wanted in my notes. This was also evident during the setting of ground rules between the teachers and the board. W,e had a dispute over what was said, but when notes were reviewed it became evident that both recorders had noted the same statement. I wonder if this would also help with reading body language - perhaps some note to the effect that X had his/her arms crossed or was looking out the window during discussion. Body language can reveal so much about the feelings of individuals during group discussions, it would seem that it may be beneficial to review a video tape.

It became much clearer about what was meant by a caucus or sidebar after our discussion today. I tried despirately to get down the top 12 things not to say, but missed some of them. Did anyone else get all of them? I am missing #8,7, part of 6, and 4. I really liked the scenerios and discussions within our groups about the issues, interests, and options.

Of course it it very important in any negotiation or work with others to stick with an agreement and not try to renege on what was promised. This would just set off negative feelings between the two parties. It's the same within families as is the common misconception of want versus need. In any relationship whether it is personal or professional, it is important to build the trust and understanding of one another.