Leadership •
Just for fun: What Your Communication & Caffeine Style Says About You
BY Erin WerraErin Werra
Picture it: A bright, shiny morning begins in October. The school year’s in swing, the birds are singing, Homecoming’s over, and academics are in the air. You have some colleagues to catch up with, but first: coffee. Or rather, your morning beverage of choice. Which are you choosing?
Latte and a text message
You have too much to do and even less time to do it. You’re holding more items in your hands than you should logically be able to (are you a parent?). You never lose your car keys/phone/wallet, but you’ve definitely gone looking for one or more of them while holding the item in your opposite hand. That’s why you’re firing off a text message to your colleague whom you know you’ll see in five minutes for a complete debrief. It’s like an appetizer and reminder all in one. Wait, where’d you set your phone down? Oh wait, it’s right here.- You multitask because you care a ton about your people.
- You appreciate a mobile app that works seamlessly from anywhere.
- Iced or hot lattes both go down equally well.
Drip coffee and a visit
You’ve been here forever, and you woke up at 4:00. This isn’t unusual, it’s just what time you wake up. Instead of wasting time with technology, you top off your cup of joe and mosey over to visit your colleague’s classroom. You tell as many stories as possible before resolving the question you came to discuss, and you don’t mind if your coffee grows cold while you laugh together.
- You’ve learned the power of a great story to connect folks.
- New tech is always overrated.
- You’re not picky as long as the grounds are fresh.
Diet Coke and an email
You don’t have all day. There are phones ringing off the hook, grades are due in a week, and Cristina A. forgot her soccer cleats again so you’re sending a note to her classroom teacher and then you’ll need to reach out to the vendors for the upcoming fundraising events for the new playground equipment and then—A Diet Coke is the perfect brain-static short-circuit in between frantic emails heading in every direction. Cheers.
- You’re probably an admin assistant or in a similar role.
- “An email” may be your preferred method, but let’s be real: You’re also answering phones, texting, and people are visiting you. Your admin tools have to be multiplatform and accessible via web browser.
- You probably have rules for yourself about drinking water before cracking a cold Diet Coke.
Matcha and a DM
Nobody else really knows what matcha is, or what your exact job title is (Instructional coach? System administrator? Para? All of the above?). You’re the first to dive into a new edtech solution, serve on more committees than you can count, and build amazing rapport with students and staff alike. You may be younger than your peers (in spirit if not in years) and you love a good adventure.Everyone loves and fears you and that’s exactly how you like it.
- You’re a jack of all trades and a master of some, too.
- You’re never afraid to try a new technology solution (or fancy coffee).
- You switched from coffee because drinking coffee all day every day is not sustainable. It takes all kind of people working together to build a successful school district.
Bits and pieces of each communication style show up in all our interactions. Strike a balance between your comfort and your colleagues’ comfort—learning how best to connect solidifies these carefully curated relationships.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR YOUR EDTECH? The right combo of tools & support retains staff and serves students better. We'd love to help. Visit skyward.com/get-started to learn more.
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Erin Werra Blogger, Researcher, and Edvocate |
Erin Werra is a content writer and strategist at Skyward’s Advancing K12 blog. Her writing about K12 edtech, data, security, social-emotional learning, and leadership has appeared in THE Journal, District Administration, eSchool News, and more. She enjoys puzzling over details to make K12 edtech info accessible for all. Outside of edtech, she’s waxing poetic about motherhood, personality traits, and self-growth.
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