Eye contact
"Eye contact is looking at each student long enough to make a connection, but not so long that they start to feel uncomfortable. The best time frame for this is 2-3 seconds."
Eye contact can sometimes makes students feel uncomfortable. The 2-3 second glance is always best to avoid making the student feel uncomfortable.
Good morning John!
Thanks for your comment.
The most difficult barrier to men shaking hands is - yes you are correct - that of shaking a woman's hand. I suggested that a firm but not powerful grip is appropriate for all.
Have a nice day!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
You are correct a firm hand shake while looking into someone eyes go a long way. It says so mant things.
Good morning John!
Absolutely! I am of the opinion that eye contact is a critical form of communication. I've often said "let me put my glasses on so that I can hear you better"!
Eye contact is another form of personal recognition and often provides a positive affirmation.
In my professional and career education classes, we practice a firm handshake while looking the other person directly in the eyes.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED107 Facilitator
I feel that looking the student in the eye is the best way to judge if he/she is really getting what I am saying. Also by looking the student in the eye i feel he/she feels as if i am taching/speaking right to them.
As a culinary instructor, I find it very effective to stop and make eye contact with the students. That way I capture their attention and get a non verbal feedback from them.
How do you get over eye contact issues with cultures that dislike eye contact?
As you are teaching different material, eye contact with the students usually gives you a good scale to measure if they are absorbing the information. As an instructor, you will know if you can move on or not baxed on eye contact with the studnets.
It's certainly an effective way to bring students into the discussion; I have found that students often have relevant examples themselves to share with others.
Thanks, Eugene!
Jay
ED106 Facilitator
When I give an example of something. I will look at a student or mayybe two students for that conversation.
You're right Dave, it allows students to feel as if they are the focus - and they are!
Jay
ED106 Facilitator
Eye contact seems to work well with keeping the students interested and I feel it also shows respect to the student
I have to distract myself from eye contact with the same students. I have a tendency to contact the students over and over. I am trying to get myself to focus on the other students.
Hi Timothy, yes, and perhaps asking these students for personal examples and illustrations can also stimulate interest.
Thanks,
Jay
ED106 Facilitator
I have noticed that the students that are not that interested in the topic of the lecture rarely make eye contact with me so by involving them more i have found that i can get them more interested in the topic.
Thanks, Scott, for your input. Walking around in the classroom helps as well and actually causes us to vary our eye contact - it all sort of works together.
Jay
ED106
When I first started teaching it was brought to my attention that I usually concentrated on one area of the classroom. It took a little practice but now I make sure that during lecture that I make eye contact with everyone.
Hi Mark, very much a key point; students pick up on that very quickly and sometimes we, as instructors, don't even know that we are doing it.
Thanks,
Jay Hollowell
ED106 Facilitator
eye contact is very important but can be used in the wrong way such as keying in on a student.
