I believe modeling positive body language is more effective. The reason I say this is because your student may have negative body language so you want your posture to set the tone.
Mirroring students' body language is more effective. It allows the students to feel that I understand them and to become better listeners and to interact with me.
So it sounds like that if you can not make a connection with modeling body language that you try to mirror their verbal language. That is a great insight Jason. You don't have to mirror every action or word the person says, but typically mirroring some aspect is going to help you connect with the student.
Without a doubt. If modeling the correct body language fails to connect with the students I find it helpful to show the student empathy in the decision making process.
I also find that using the speakers own words helps to build a connection and makes the potential student feel heard and "part of the process."
Thanks for the input here Jason. Tell me, have you ever been in a situation when you modeled the correct body language and still had a hard time connecting with the student? What did you do to overcome this?
Modeling positive body language is more effective for communication in my opinion.
I believe when we model positive body language we show that we are truly interested in our students/potential students and their needs. It also gives us a level of sincerity.
Not sure we come across as sincere when we mirror a students body language. In fact some may find it to be a bit awkward.
Thanks for sharing, Middalia! What a powerful example and it looks like it sent a message to you in what not to do when mirroring another person.
Interesting insights, Nicolette. Mirroring body language does present the opportunity to connect with your student on another level. I'm curious, how do you believe mirroring body language conveys understanding to your students?
One example would be while I was in grad school as a student. I guess the instructor wanted to be seened as "down to earth" and that he could relate to the group of students. These students would use gestures such as "talk to the hand" rolling their head or eyes. In one instance he did this and someone became offended and stated" he acts like he is one of us", He doesn't know me" I hate when he tries does that it's so fake". Thats why I believe we need to be extremely careful when trying to mirror someone.
Mirroring students body language. You want them to know you understand them and are there to help them get started as soon as possible.
Interesting point Middalia. Modeling good body language shows your professionalism. I'm curious, have you ever experienced students that don't follow the body language you are modeling? What have you tried with those students?
I prefer modeling good body language. I say this becuase at times people may be become offended thinking that you are mocking them or pretending to be something you are not just to try to gain their trust or convince them of something.
Great awareness, Gary. It sounds like you've got a strategy to help move your students from a negative place to a more positive one through mirroring and modeling. How do you find this works with your students?
I think a good procedure is to begin by mirroring to help the student feel comfortable and then move to more of a modeling of positive body language. However, if the student continues to resist or convey a "negative" message, I think you must continue modeling the positive body language.
Model positive body language is most important because you have to be an example. This will allow them to look up to you. You should portray that you know what you are talking about.
Mirroring can be very helpful in making your student feel comfortable with you. This is wonderful when you're working to develop a relationship! How do younuse mirroring with your students, May?
I think mirroring body language is more effective due to that the person will trie to do the same as you do, this happens most of the time
That's definitely a good rule of thumb, Ashleigh. Establishing a feeling of commonality can definitely improve your connections with another person. What specific clues
do you look for as far as body language goes?
Great insight, Jason. It's definitely a privilege to have the opportunity to model positive behaviors for students. What are some things you do to model positive behavior for your students?
Mirroring a student's body language that is positive is effective because it creates a commonality. A student will feel more comfortable but will not entirely be sure why. On the other hand, modeling a positive body language can help those who are portraying negative body language to relax and open up.
I think that based on the fact that you can never know what kind of body language a student will show up with, it is better to model good body language and hope a student will adapt to your example.
