my students know when im going to call on them. i look them right and the eye and actuactly smile at them. they know whats coming and that keeps them focused on the class lecture. maintaining eye contact will make sure the students are focused. if they arent looking at you they arent paying attention
I learned awhile back that if you maintain eye contact with someone you know they are listening. Making eye contact and yet knowing when to switch the focus will allow you the instructor to focus on each student in the class and not leave any feeling left out. This also allows the instructor to read the students eyes and see if the are truly understanding the discussion of if they are lost.
besides the advantage of knowing who is paying attention it lets students feel that i am talking directly to them.
Shows the students that you are engaged with them. Eye contact is important in any kind of one-on-one personal exchange. It shows that both folks are plugged into each other and also shows respect!!
Makes them feel like you notice them and they are a part of the classroom. Puts them in a more comfortable environment enabling them to feel more confident in their participating.
Hi there team,
I find it crucial. For someone who teaches online, that's why I use Webcam and will be working to create new "productions" throughout.
:-)
Mike
It shows the students that you know they are individuals,that you honestly believe in what you are presenting and although they are welcome, you controll the class room.
I like to have eye contact with my students, so that I know that they are paing attention. They know that I'm making eye contact eith them so they feel like part of the class.
The value is in the trust that is created when you give them eye contact. It helps to validate that student and you look mcome off as more trustworthy as well. I say the eyecontact should be minimal in length but varied to all in the class throughout the lecture.
Maintaining eye contact with students enables me to include everyone, it helps me see that students ar epaying attention and most of all it helps me determine if the students are understanding the information I am giving them. It is easy to see confusion on a persons face that does not understand information.
Making eye contact with all students shows them that you are aware of their presence in the classroom. Especially for the students that have a difficult time sitting for the length of the course, when you make eye contact with them, they seem to focus again and get back on track.
It involves them in and makes them a part of the class.
I use eye contact to establish the tone of the class. I consistently try to scan the class in order to make sure that I'm not losing them in lecture. Once I see the heads dropping, yawns, and fidgeting, I quickly change the topic, call on someone or go to a handout. When I call someone out by name, its amazing how everyone perks up and eye contact is established with all the students.
I find if I make I contact with a student it means I am interested in their active learning during my lectures. I also find that most students are more attentive if they know you will be making eye contact during your lectures as well.
Hi Suzanne! I too had a philosophy professor who stared at the floor, plus he paced back and forth on the same path in the front of the classroom; sadly, that's all I ever remembered about the course. It otherwise could have been so engaging with discussion, examples, debate and activity.
Thanks for your comments,
Jay Hollowell
ED106 Facilitator
In maintaning eye contact with each individual student for a brief time you are including him in the conversation or lecture. They feel like they belong,that you taking a personal intrest in their education.
It makes each student part of the class and helps establish a relationship between student and instructor. I vividly remember one college professor, not because of his excellent research, but because he spent the entire semester staring a the lecture hall floor.
Hi Abigail! We talk often about how eye contact creates a more personable and connected learning environment among instructor and students, however you add an additional valued purpose. We can often see in a student's eyes whether he or she is comprehending a concept or frustrated accordingly.
Thanks for your observations!
Jay Hollowell
ED106 Facilitator
Eye contact also gives the student a one on one feeling, you can see the light bulb go off or the confusion about the concept set in. Therefore, we can stop and tackle the confusion right away.
Eye contact with students is an effective way to keep them engaged and focused. It also allows the teacher to gauge if the student might be having trouble with the material. Often times the student will avoid eye contact if he confused or he will just simply look confused.
