Matching Your Message to the Audience: A Practical Guide to Structuring Language for New Administrators

Matching Your Message to the Audience provides school administrators with principles and practical steps for creating messages that encourage a positive response. The reader learns strategies for matching the structure, language, and tone of the written or spoken message to each reader or listener to encourage teachers, parents and others to be open during the conversation with the administrator. A prime goal of communication is to encourage staff to be active thinkers who are involved in making decisions that improve the school. The paradigm presented in this book is designed to increase the efficiency of organizing both spoken and written communication markedly. This book shows school administrators how to apply analytical thinking skills to their written and spoken communications.

This book is divided into two parts. The first part of the book centers on the key concept of matching how you communicate to maximize a positive audience response. The second part of this book focuses how to structure sentences and paragraphs in order to receive this maximized response. Analytical exercises are embedded into the text to solidify your ability to implement these strategies and principles more easily and more effectively.

Preface

PART I:UNDERSTANDING THE AUDIENCE OF THE MESSAGE

Chapter 1: Creating A Communication Match

Introduction

Thinking about the Audience

Exercises To Increase Understanding and Promote Discussion

Thinking about the Message Tone

Thinking about Communication Matches
(Three basic questions)

Exercises To Increase Understanding and Promote Discussion

Chapter 2: Choosing The Right Langauge

Using Language to Think About the Recipient

Applying the Understanding to the Classroom

Using The Administrator’s Analysis to Maximize Communication



Analysis of a Second Chart



Here’s The Point



Chapter 3: Thinking More About The Message Recipient

Applying What We Have Learned-A New Case Study



In Short, the bottom line



Learning about the Right Approach

Chart Comparing Approaches

Thinking About an Indirect Approach

Summary

Chapter 4:Applying What You Have Learned

Exercises To Increase Understanding And Promote Discussion

Creating Your Own Case Study

Analyzing Your Case Study


PART II: USING THE STUCTURAL PYRAMID TO GET YOUR POINT ACROSS

Chapter 5:Using The Subject As The Filter Of Your Message

Introduction To Structural Pyramid

The Structural Pyramid

Category 1: Thinking About The Subject Of The Sentence

Using “It” As The Subject

Asking The Recipient “Why”

Avoid Implying Criticism

Exercises To Improve Understanding

Case Study To Improve Understanding

Case Study Analysis

Chapter 6:Making The Verb The Engine Of Your Message

Category 2: The Power Of The Verb

Case Study Showing The Filter

The Verb As An Engine

Exercises To Increase Understanding And Promote Discussion

Using The Verb To Encourage Problem-Solving

Case Study - Language Leading To Collaborative Decision-Making

Principal’s Flexibility

Introductory Words That Show The Point

Exercise To Show The Point

Further Analysis of Principal’s Message

Further Sentence Analysis

A Decision-Making Plan

Chapter 7:Organizing Your Message With The Proper Perspective

Category 3: Asking The Right Questions

Analysis Of Principal’s Message With Framing

A Case Study To Reflect On The Process

A Second Case Study To Reflect The Process

Exercises To Increase Understanding And Promote Discussion

Chapter 8:Deciding Which Part Of Your Statement To Emphasize

Category 4: Choosing The Right Clauses And Approach

The Principal Decides What To Do

Exercise- A Case Study To Explain

Bibliography

Robert A. Pauker is an educational consultant who has worked with administrators
and teachers for over thirty years. Dr. Pauker is the author of the Structured Writing
and Thinking Program, as well as numerous publications, including Teaching Thinking and Reasoning Skillsfrom the American Association of School Administrators.

Mike Hibbard earned his PhD from Cornell University, taught science, served as a school and district level administrator for 37 years, and s currently the Assistant Superintendent for Instruction and Human Resources in the North Salem Central School District, North Salem, New York. Mike has published and consulted widely in the United States and abroad on Performance Assessment and is currently innovating Twenty-First Century Problem-Solving strategies that link the classroom with the community.