Crafting Communication Skills

Special Instructor Beth Talbert’s classroom chatter gradually dwindled to two voices echoing to each other. As a communication exercise, she encourages rowdy, widespread conversation, only softening it one-by-one with a tap from her that signifies silence. Eventually, only two students are speaking — Talbert uses this activity to highlight the power of communication and the emphasis silence has on juxtaposed voices.

“That’s what happens when you disengage with public discourse,” she says. “They’re the only ones talking, but there's many more voices in the room.”

While Talbert studied communication as an undergraduate, she fell in love with the open-minded environment universities foster. “Education can transform a person’s entire life,” she says. “That’s what really drives me.”

Initially, she pursued administrative roles in higher education, dedicating a decade of experience to OU’s student affairs. She progressed rapidly into more leadership roles, but day-to-day communication with students dwindled with more responsibility.

Eventually, Talbert found a moment to reassess, leaving her position as associate director of admissions to focus on her family. “I just gave my notice.” Talbert says. “I said I’m not coming back. I just need some time, and I’m not joking, within 15 minutes, I got a call.”

The former chair of the communication program, David Lau, reached out to persuade Talbert to stay at OU to teach communication instead, whenever she felt ready. Talbert took the leap, and her first class was open for registration the following fall. “Once I got into the classroom, I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, this is where I was supposed to be all along,’” she says. Being a special instructor gave her the responsibility and leadership she’d grown to love in administration, matched with her passion to guide students.

In turn, Talbert utilized her previous experience and pioneered the leadership class within communication studies — although it attracted the attention of many other majors as well. Sharpening her students’ curiosity, she approached each leadership class individually, and asked students to “search” for meaningful topics to them, then mapping corresponding assignments. While these assignments often resulted in a research paper or project, Talbert would never call it “research” because “searching” implies more — “finding a passion area.”

Talbert devoted another 25 years to teaching at OU until retiring at the end of 2023, amounting to 35 years of service. Whether she devised a new classroom activity or a new program, Talbert found her calling in the classroom. “I loved creating new things, trying to find how we can do something better,” she says. “Honestly, I could probably create a new class every semester if I felt like it, but eventually, there comes a time to start paving the way for others too.”