Thanks Todd, your comments are outstanding! I agree, the simpler the language, the better from the classroom experience; our students can bring so many positive things to the table, but not necessarily in their vocabulary and study/learning skills, nor, as you point out,should we expect it.
Repetition is a key instructional technique to help students remember and assimilate content and applications, but it can be boring. I have found that the use of intermittent activities, games, contests, etc. help to liven up the repetition.
Jay Hollowell
ED106 Facilitator
Hi Eva! Thanks for your comments! Pacing your words, as you point out, is crucial to effective presenting and practice is crucial. I also try to vary my tone and be aware of my body language as well as vary lecture points with stories, examples and intermittent activities. I find that when I do that, modulating the pace of my words happens quite naturally.
Jay Hollowell
ED106 Facilitator
Modulating the pace of your words takes time and practice. Attempt to practice when you are in social situations as well as in the classroom.
To me, the most important communication skill is to remember you are dealing with a diverse population, so you may have to rephrase items to ensure understanding. The way to do this is to look for clarity on faces as you become comfortable with the visual cues you will receive from some students.
I would like to improve my pace of speaking. I tend to talk fast, at all times, and this can be difficult for some students to keep up with.
I wanted to touch on the idea of expanding our vocabulary. As instructors we come from a diverse group of fields, each attracting different people. While expanding our own vocabulary is a great personal goal, as an automotive instructor I have found that the majority of my students are not scholars. They tend to be people who would rather work with their hands, don't enjoy reading, and may not have the best vocabulary. That's an understatement in fact. I've been stopped by several students and asked to explain a word or term that I thought was common vocabulary for anyone with a high school education.
While we have to expand the students' vocabulary to include the terms of our individual trades, my classroom experience has been to use the simplest language possible to get the point across to the students. Even during testing, students often ask for a definition of common words that are not technical terms specific to our trade.
I am trying the repetition approach to increase their learning. Repetition of terms, repetition procedures, and repetition of phrases seems to have the affect of slowly increasing the students' level of understanding. Keeping it simple and repetitive may seem boring to some, but for others, it's the only way they can learn the material.
Excellent strategy, David, storytelling is an art and very effective teaching tool, particularly if it not only engages students and helps break up the lecture, but actually supplements the lesson.
Thanks for your comments!
Jay Hollowell
ED106 Facilitator
I agree. I also ask the class something similar. I begin with telling the students what I expect from them in this course, and then I ask them what do they expect from me as well as the course.
I usually do not get alot of responses because the question seems to put them on the spot. I also tell them I know that, and if they can think of anything please feel free to let me know. This shows the sudents that I am concerned about there education as well as there learning experience.
Put a brief outline on the board of the topics that are going to be covered. Give them a handout with an outline of the key topic points. You may also want to list on the board the most commonly asked questions about the day’s topic.
I can't think of one skill thats more important than the others. It's the whole package if you want to be effective as a teacher. We use our speaking skills more than any other and the fear of speaking to a group was my biggest hurdle to over come when I first started to teach.
I need to improve my writting skills. I do not have a collage education and just writting something like this reply is very hard for me to do.
Lots of state changes. Remember that student attention spans are very short. Personal stories that relat to the topic seem to help me with this. I lead into these stories with things like: This reminds of..... or Can you guys remember when.... or The industry expects.....etc...then right back to the lecture. These often generate short discussions that lead right into the next part of the lecture.
Hi Douglas! Thanks for your question! Here are some ideas for your discretion; please let me encourage our other participants in the discussion forum to present their ideas as well:
- Be sensitive to your own voice inflection/tone/body language...by having this awareness, you can speed up, slow down, change your tone and adjust accordingly
-Try the "pulse and pace" concept - observe your students and how they are reacting; their body language will tell you whether or not you need to change the pace and/or the tone of your presentation
-If you need to repetitively provide the same information at different times, challenge yourself as to how you can present the same thing a little differently; tell a story, give an example, ask a question, mention an intersting or even shocking factoid - get the feel for your student audience and what gets them going
-Ask student volunteers from time to time to paraphrase in their own words what you are saying - students listen to other students, it breaks up the lecture a bit and, with your guidance, can even shed new light on a subject
-combine your training aids, visuals and speaking with a few interactive learning activites during the lecture - play a brief game (a relevant one), have a contest, challenge students to ask you a question that might stump you; ask students for personal examples, etc.
Though many of these suggestions may not directly be related to just speech (monotone or otherwise), introducing them in your learning environment may help to offset, or break up, continuous lecturing and therefore reduce the chance of a complete monotone delivery.
Hope this helps,thanks again for your question!
Jay Hollowell
ED106 Facilitator
I find myself slipping in the OH NO MONO Tone zone durning long lectures. Any tricks to avoid this?
I think I get more feedback from my students in the form of non-verbal communication. Many things their body language tells you they would never communicate to you verbally. In reading this, I can adjust the lecture to better accomodate their learning pace and determine whether they are understanding the material. Also, at times, I can give them approval, or redirect them without calling attention to them or ever saying anything directly to them.
Thanks, Carlton! Great comment. Over the years I have learned so much from my students when I simply stopped and listened before jumping on a response. I think that, in turn, enabled me to be a better teacher.
Jay Hollowell
ED106 Facilitator
Hi,
This is something that you have to develope as a skill. Too often I will speak too soon and interupt part of thier question before my student's thought is complete. They have come to us as instructors to be taught. If we speak too soon without an understanding of thier query we deminish our own effectiveness and in a way show disrespect.
I believe that making eye contact while speaking is the most important part of connecting with my classes. We all want to feel we are acknoledged and affirmed. We give respect in this culture when we look someone in the eye.
Hi Jay, thanks for your comment; sometimes when a student answers a question, I even invite other students to answer it, then clarify, correct or expand if need be. I always preface this exchange though by stating that the original question was an excellent one (and give a specific reason) - that way, no student feels as if they asked a question that was irrelevant or where the answer was obvious.
Jay Hollowell
ED106 Facilitator
Thanks, Richard, you're right, expressing instructor confidence, demonstrated through tone and body language, is a crucial classroom communication skill.
Jay Hollowell
ED106 Facilitator
Hi Nolan! I'm from VA myself and a southern guy. Once in NYC where I was teaching an adult education workshop, I discovered that the participants had all bet on how long it would take me in my presentation to say, "you all." Somebody actually won the pool. It was a blast!
I applaud your desire for enhancing communication skills, but don't worry too much about your accent; it's a major part of who we are; just give the students pleny of time for pauses, questions and clarifications and back up your speaking with visuals and hands-on activities that will help reinforce your points and reach other learning styles.
Thanks for your comments,
Jay Hollowell
ED106 Facilitator
Thanks, David, this is wise advice; instructor excitement and passion for the subject transfers to students, but it can also cause an instructor to speed up the presentation and potentially leave some students behind.
As an option, sometimes I have chosen a responsible student or two, usually toward the back of the learning environment, and given them a sign that says "slow down" and another sign that says "speed up" to use if they feel I am not effectively pacing a presentation or discussion, or if they happen to see any other students that look either bored or frustrated. So, if things are moving too fast or too slow, and I just miss it, they will very discreetly hold up the sign. It's not full proof and should not be disruptive, but it is, perhaps, an interesting option to use from time to time.
Jay Hollowell
ED106 Facilitator
