BTO 102
Workplace Communication
Foundations CoreFoundations Core24 contact hours8 sessionsCost: No tuition. All materials are provided.
“Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt.” — Colossians 4:6
This course develops the speaking, listening, and writing skills that open doors and keep them open. You will practice active listening, clear speaking, professional writing, customer and coworker interactions, conflict resolution, giving and receiving feedback, and talking about your past with honesty and hope.
Syllabus
Course Syllabus
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Course | BTO 102 · Workplace Communication |
| Program | Bridge to Opportunity · Foundations Core (required) |
| Contact Hours | 24 hours · 8 weekly sessions of 3 hours |
| Format | Online to start; in-person once facility clearance is granted |
| Prerequisites | None. Recommended alongside or right after BTO 101. |
| Cost | No tuition. All materials are provided. |
| Instructor | ________________________ |
| Meeting Time | ________________________ |
Course Description
This course develops the speaking, listening, and writing skills that open doors and keep them open. You will practice active listening, clear speaking, professional writing, customer and coworker interactions, conflict resolution, giving and receiving feedback, and talking about your past with honesty and hope.
Faith Integration
Scripture teaches that the tongue holds the power of life and death (Proverbs 18:21). In this course we practice speaking life: taming the tongue, listening before answering, forgiving in conflict, and letting every word build others up. Good communication is one of the clearest ways our faith shows up at work.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Explain the parts of communication, including body language and tone.
- Practice active listening and respond with understanding.
- Speak clearly and confidently in one-on-one and group settings.
- Write clear, professional emails, notes, and short reports.
- Serve customers and work with coworkers respectfully, including in difficult moments.
- Use a simple process to resolve conflict and de-escalate tension.
- Give and receive feedback without defensiveness.
- Talk about your past with honesty, brevity, and hope in an interview or at work.
Course Materials
- This student workbook
- Pen or pencil
- Scenario cards and handouts provided in class
Weekly Schedule
| Week | Module | Assignment Due |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | How Communication Works | Communication Observation |
| 2 | Active Listening | Listening Log |
| 3 | Speaking With Clarity and Confidence | Polish Your Introduction |
| 4 | Professional Writing at Work | Three Workplace Messages |
| 5 | Serving Customers and Working With Coworkers | Service Scenario Responses |
| 6 | Conflict Resolution and De-escalation | Conflict Plan |
| 7 | Giving and Receiving Feedback | 90-Day Review Preparation |
| 8 | Telling Your Story With Honesty and Hope | Final Project Submission |
How You Will Be Graded
| Component | Weight | What It Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Attendance & Participation | 15% | Being present, prepared, and engaged in discussion and group work (Participation Rubric) |
| Reflection Journal | 15% | Eight weekly entries connecting the lesson to your life and faith (Journal Rubric) |
| Module Assignments | 25% | Eight weekly assignments (Module Assignment Rubric) |
| Module Quizzes | 10% | Eight short quizzes, each given at the start of the next session (Module 8's is given with the final exam) |
| Final Exam | 10% | Given in the last session; covers all eight modules |
| Final Project | 25% | A practical project that brings the whole course together (Final Project Rubric) |
To pass this course: earn 70% or higher overall and attend at least 80% of sessions.
Classroom Covenant
- We begin and end each session in prayer. Participation in prayer is always welcome, never required.
- What is shared in class stays in class. We protect one another's stories.
- We speak with respect, listen without interrupting, and disagree with grace.
- We come prepared, do our own work, and ask for help when we need it.
- We follow all facility rules. Safety and security come first.
- We believe the best about one another and about what God can do.
Support & Accommodations
If reading, writing, vision, hearing, or any other need makes a part of this course harder, tell your instructor privately. Materials can be read aloud, enlarged, or completed orally. Missed sessions can be made up using the module pages. If you are transferred or released, your completed work stays on record and you can finish online.
Welcome
Welcome
This companion walks beside you through BTO 102. Communication is where our faith becomes visible to others, in how we listen, how we speak, and how we handle conflict. Each week has a short reading, five devotions for the days between sessions, and at the back a Quick Guide of scripts and steps you can use at work and at home.
How to Use This Companion
- Read the weekly reading after each class session. It takes about 10 minutes.
- Reflect on the questions. These are for you; you do not have to turn them in.
- Meet with God through the five daily devotions between sessions.
- Keep the Quick Guide at the end to carry home after release.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.— Psalm 119:105 (KJV)
Course Modules
Final Project, Rubrics & Final Exam
Course Materials
Materials for this course are coming soon.