Olmarys,
this is very true. No matter how "entertaining" you are or how good of a natural speaker, you must also be well prepared. This is not just being knowledgeable about your subject, but also being prepared for each lesson.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
The ability to follow a plan and keep the lecture in short bursts of information so you do not overwhelm the student is essential. If your topic last for an hour you have most likely lost more than half of your students attention after the first fifteen minutes. To stay on topic and to be interactive with the students in short mini lectures is the most important communication skill a vocational instructor could possess.
Listening, acceptance, and non verbals . Instructors must be culturally competent when communicating.
In addition to a strong and clear voice when lecturing, knowing the subject well makes communication much easier
Debra,
great point made here. Our students don't need to be amazed with our vocab or lingo, but they need to understand the material.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
An important tip for commincating in a diverse class is to make your point in many different ways and keep it simple. Everyone learns and receives information differently. Being mindful of age, gender, enthnicity, race, etc., is also an important factor when communicating and a speaker must know how to connect on all levels. This is important because you do not want to offend anybody.
Speaking in a language your audience can understand is best. I teach a healthcare course so it's important for me to not use "workplace lingo" but to use clear language that my students can understand.
Ricmanuel,
the questioning skills really are key to creating that welcoming & open learning environment. Asking thought provoking questions in a way that encourages engagement is key.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Communication skills is very important in providing a good learning environment. Keeping eye contact and asking questions provide a gauge on how the students comprehend the subject.
joanne ,
the role plays & scenarios are a great way for our students to learn & key in on the main ideas.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Michael,
these are both definitely key communication skills as the nonverbals help to communicate consistency between our verbal messages & our intent.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Students come from varied backgrounds and all communicate differently. The understanding of these differences can assist instructors by being able to provide information in the way a student learns. There is such a generation gap between baby boomers and the Y generation that the communicate can get bogged down and even misunderstood. I am not even sure that todays students are aware of how they are percieved when communicating. Some of it may be there uses of mobile devices and the texting acronyms.
I often act out scenerios that my students will encounter and have them react to me in a professional manner and that always leads to a good discussion
I Really think tone of voice and maintaining eye contact are the most important. Tone of voice can capture attention of a student and eye contact can hold to that attention by amking it a "one on one" thing.
I have found that my back ground in theater has helped a great deal. My instructors that have similar back grounds make all the difference. They know how to project, they understand what it takes to engage an audience and they are trained story-tellers. I have had instructors that struggled with class presentation observe one of the theater background instructors or I in order to help them understand what it takes to present.
Ardiana,
this is so true & it also helps us to be more engaged with the content as we have to think of these creative ways which really does take more connection than just lecture.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Presentation plays a big role in the lecture, especially in the clasees that students have to spend four to eight hours. As instructors we have to become creative to make learnig fun and pleasant.
Jack,
and while doing this communicating in an interesting tone so you keep the students' attention.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
one of the most important skills are to be able to talk clear and loud enough so the class can hear you and i like to use boards, overhead projectors, etc. to keep a diverse learning environment.
In addition to a clear and projected voice, a conversational tone seems to work best for me. Knowing the content well enough will allow you to be comfortable enough to walk around the classroom, present the content as if you are talking one-on-one with each student and then interjecting personal stories or experiences usually helps with engaging students.
