Page 172 - Effective Communication Soft Skills Strategies For Success by Nitin Bhatnagar, Mamta Bhatnagar

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The third important feature of support message for the pedagogues is its
effectiveness in passing informative context. Supportive message can be declar-
atives like factual statements, observations and opinions, intended to enhance
the pupil’s awareness or understanding of classroom interactions; or they may
be directives like suggestions, proposals, advice, etc.—all intended to enhance
the pupil’s appreciation or motivation to improve or solve the problem.
Declaratives present information in an adequate and appropriate man-
ner and quantity, expressed in an empathetic manner. Helpful directives
present sound proposals and solve the problem effectively and efficiently.
Sometimes, there is cognitive or emotional deficit in the learner. In this situ-
ation, the pedagogue has to provide ‘instrumental support’ that would facili-
tate learning and task accomplishment. At times, the pedagogue may find the
pupils lacking information about themselves, lacking confidence, doubting
their competence and self-efficacy or their likeability and social acceptance.
Under these conditions, the pedagogue needs to provide appraisal support
to the pupil to make them able and competent, and emotional support to
make them feel accepted and loved as also to manage their grievances.
However, one key point that a pedagogue needs to remember is that,
supportive communication is not a commodity or a resource that can be
delivered. Rather it arises through the interactions occurring in the relation-
ships. Besides, the pedagogue may face problems in conceptualizing sup-
portive communication that would serve the purpose.

Supportive Communication is Pupil Centred
An important and interesting feature of supportive message is that, it is
pupil-centred as it acknowledges the pupil’s emotional and cognitive state
and the affection reactions, expression of compassion, and understanding.
Person centred supportive communication avoids evaluating pupils or ask-
ing them to act or behave in a particular way, because such acts undermine
the reflective processes that supportive communication seek to achieve.
Person centred supportive communication assists the pupil in develop-
ing greater comprehension skills for a problematic situation and improved
perspective on it. These messages may also help the student to modify per-
sonal goals and feelings as a result of increased appreciation for the character
of the situation and possibilities inherent within it. In the long run, sup-
portive communication leads to enhanced understanding, acceptance, and
adjustment between the pedagogue and the pupil.

Supportive Interactions
Supportive communication requires supportive interactions. Supportive
interactions can be understood as multi-turn conversational sequences or

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