WoW! This was an information packed two days! I have learned so much about the negotiation process from all of activities: the simulation (how interesting to get all of the different perspectives from many different experiences), the guest speakers ( hearing both the union and lawyer's sides), and the presentations. It was interesting to go through the contract and have Dennis highlight the key areas and things that we needed to watch in the future. The language issue was one that was good to tear apart the wording and see how many different interpretations could be seen. It's like when an accident occurs and those around are asked what they observed - so many different opinions about what was seen! An interesting note that he mentioned the class size, which was a "bone of contention" with our teacher group in the simulation process. How informative to have him tell us what he thought should NOT be included in the contract.
Mike made reference to "who do you trust?" So many say that we should do what is best for the kids, but it takes some deciphering to determine who really means this. Do the union reps have the opportunity to see what is going on in other classrooms and what works well in different settings? Wouldn't it be great it both they had this opportunity and the lawyers and school board took the time and initiative to do this? It was great that we were able to come to an agreement in the end on the contract. Sometimes it is necessary to stick to what you believe is the right thing to do and others to give up some things. It requires looking at the whole picture and determining what you really want and need in order to do the best job. As the recorder for the teacher group, it was difficult to stay on top of what was said, by whom and when. It did help me be able to sort things through better when I went through my notes and compared them to Margo's from the board group. It was great that she and I were able to email our notes to one another, consolidate and check what was said and TAd. If we had really taped the meetings, that may have helped us. The teachers had requested having the meetings video taped to check on details, but this would also have helped to see the body language. It is my understanding that the teacher group 1 had someone to do this - a great idea! Keeping quiet was difficult at times, when it usually isn't for me in a situation where I'm unsure of myself. It helped to have our peers there and be able to share things with them in smaller meetings. I also liked that when we were negotiating that humor was used by both teams. This helped alleviate any tension felt - probably a good idea in a real negotiation process to utilize some humor at times.
It was a lot to take in for the day with the lawyers and the presentations, but I feel like I gained a great deal of information from all of the guests and presentations. It really helps to have them tell about their own experiences and how what we have been learning applies in the "real world". It was said many times that communication and relationships are important. I noticed that as our groups progressed through the simulation, we developed closer relationships. Maybe this wouldn't be the way it would occur in the true process, but it was interesting to observe in this situation.
When Dennis Triggs commented that negotiations is the way of life, it really hit me that this is true in al
l of our lives in most of the things we do. As a teacher or administrator, we are always working through issues and negotiating to get the best results. Even as parents, grandparents, spouses, dating partners, or friends we are constantly doing some type of negotiation. I had never thought of it that way, but will be able to remember that comment and refer back to it on a regular basis. The logo at the left is one that our Key Club uses regularly - it seems so appropriate with everything we discussed about doing what is in the best interests of the children.
Mike made reference to "who do you trust?" So many say that we should do what is best for the kids, but it takes some deciphering to determine who really means this. Do the union reps have the opportunity to see what is going on in other classrooms and what works well in different settings? Wouldn't it be great it both they had this opportunity and the lawyers and school board took the time and initiative to do this? It was great that we were able to come to an agreement in the end on the contract. Sometimes it is necessary to stick to what you believe is the right thing to do and others to give up some things. It requires looking at the whole picture and determining what you really want and need in order to do the best job. As the recorder for the teacher group, it was difficult to stay on top of what was said, by whom and when. It did help me be able to sort things through better when I went through my notes and compared them to Margo's from the board group. It was great that she and I were able to email our notes to one another, consolidate and check what was said and TAd. If we had really taped the meetings, that may have helped us. The teachers had requested having the meetings video taped to check on details, but this would also have helped to see the body language. It is my understanding that the teacher group 1 had someone to do this - a great idea! Keeping quiet was difficult at times, when it usually isn't for me in a situation where I'm unsure of myself. It helped to have our peers there and be able to share things with them in smaller meetings. I also liked that when we were negotiating that humor was used by both teams. This helped alleviate any tension felt - probably a good idea in a real negotiation process to utilize some humor at times.
It was a lot to take in for the day with the lawyers and the presentations, but I feel like I gained a great deal of information from all of the guests and presentations. It really helps to have them tell about their own experiences and how what we have been learning applies in the "real world". It was said many times that communication and relationships are important. I noticed that as our groups progressed through the simulation, we developed closer relationships. Maybe this wouldn't be the way it would occur in the true process, but it was interesting to observe in this situation.
When Dennis Triggs commented that negotiations is the way of life, it really hit me that this is true in al
l of our lives in most of the things we do. As a teacher or administrator, we are always working through issues and negotiating to get the best results. Even as parents, grandparents, spouses, dating partners, or friends we are constantly doing some type of negotiation. I had never thought of it that way, but will be able to remember that comment and refer back to it on a regular basis. The logo at the left is one that our Key Club uses regularly - it seems so appropriate with everything we discussed about doing what is in the best interests of the children.
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