Body Language
How important is the ability to read body language?
I believe body language says it all. By being able to read body language you are able to perceive how the person is feeling. That way you are able to maybe turn around the situation if need it.
Most people want to be honest and truthful in the way they communicate however, due to fears and other reasons they may mask their responses to hide what they really feel either concious or subconcious, so reading their boby language will give me another method to track the students true communication style. Sometimes people don't "say what they meam" or don't "mean what they say" either or may not be capable to do so. Some students may not be in tune with what they are trully feeling until they hear new additional information or are asked quality questions that will stimulate them to deeper thoughts.
If you pay attention to peoples body language you can identify the non verbal cues that tell you a person's level on confidence or comfort level with going back to school and from there you can move the conversation to a place of confidence and assurance.
Reading body language is essential in all aspects of life. I think it is fun that the entire time we were learning about this aspect I was thinking about Disney's The Little Mermaid and how there is a fantastic lesson on how to communicate through body language and how important that step is!
Corynne, sure. It sounds like you not only listen to your students with your ears but you also use your eyes to read how they are feeling. Great job.
Dr. Jean Norris
Reading body language is extremely important, as well as demonstrating positive body language yourself. You can read body language to see if someone is paying attention to you, or even whether or not they comprehend you. If someone isnt following, they may appear nervous or confused, which can help you to change the approach, or reword what youre saying so they have a better understanding.
Kelly,
Great point. It can be easy to miss some of the subtle cues that students offer through their body language. When you have the ability to pick up on these cues and determine if they're in contrast to what the student is telling you, you can explore further and demonstrate that you are truly listening to your students.
Dr. Jean Norris
I think this besides what is coming out of their mouth is extremely important! Noticing when they are crossing their arms or figiting with their fingers is a red flag to engage more and get their attention in a different way.
Body language is very important to see if the person is really interested in what your saying.
Great observations, Irene. I'm sure the student appreciated the fact that you checked in with her to make sure you were on the same page. How did you adapt your communication moving forward to ensure greater understanding?
Shannon Gormley
I was explaining and giving instructions and the other person's face expresion was a little lost, her eyes were staring at the paper; not reading, just thinking hard, her mind was definitely not there. When I asked if she knew what to do, she replied "not really" and asked me to explain again. Maybe this person was not a good listener or I was just not explaining myself in details. I could just notice by her face, specially her eyes, she was not understanding.
Irene,
Great point. Can you tell me a time when you have experienced body language signaling that the other person needs more clarification?
Shannon Gormley
Reading body language is extremely important. It lets you know how interested the other person is about the subject. It also helps you know if the other person is understantding the topic and helps you focus and explain in more details if necessary
Reflecting the meaning of the message that you see through a person's body language can be very powerful. It can also help you to open up the conversation to areas that you might not have explored before. It sounds like you'll be more aware of some of the subtle cues that body language offers you as you have a conversation and that's great. Good luck.
I couldn't agree with you more. My problem tends to be accepting what the person says at face value and not looking past that to their body language.(the meaning behind the words),so people are able to be deceptive.
Without a doubt, Tiffany! A person's non-verbal cues can tell you a great deal about the emotion or feeling tied to the message being sent.
It's important to definately have the ability to read body language because that is 50% or more of the way we have contact and communicate with others. It show sa lot of how we feel.
I couldn't agree with you more, Connie. In communication, it is the non-verbal communication (body language,facial expressions, etc.) that can give you a clue as to how the student is really feeling. It can also help you establish a positive connection by demonstrating that you are similar rather than different from your student by mirroring their body language.
This is SOOOO important, if you expect to make a positibe, meaningful connection with your students!
