It is difficult to communicate with a student who is disorderly and disrespectful. I would really like to find a better way of communicating with them other than having to put them out of the class when all else fails. I've tried reasoning with them, asking them to be silent, asking to speak to them in private, or asking them to at least put a stop to making a spectacle of themselves, but they do not seem to be very effective some of the times. do you have any suggestions? Threatening them is ineffective and counterproductive.
I would answer this in 2 parts. First, I would like to improve on how I explain things. Sometimes it is difficult to take tough subjects and make them easier to understand. Second, I still have to work on listening. Sometimes when things are moving fast you have to remember to slow down and really listen to the question.
Hi Trina!
I applaud you that you recognize a personal challenge and that you continually are working to improve. You are role modeling a very important improvement behavior as all of us have something that we would like to change about ourselves.
Good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
Non verbal communication skills. I know that I wear my emotion on my sleeve and this sometimes can be conflicting to others. I try to work on this everyday.
As an instructor, I would like to improve my communication skills with my students by not talking when my back is turned, and to not use "um". I tend to do this if I become distracted and am trying to get back on track with the lecture or subject.
April
Hi Jane,
There are several suggestions in the course that have given me "food for thought." One is to move around the classroom more. Our school just purchased a program that allows me to not be tied to the podium when I use PowerPoints. I will now have a wireless remote that will allow me to move around more. I think this will help me engage with the students even more.
Second, I am going to try to use more examples, stories and analogies to explain the concepts I am teaching. I know this is effective, so I'll have to try to use them more often this year.
Finally, because the subject area I teach is very complex and the students cannot learn the higher steps before they learn the basics, I will have to repeat, repeat and repeat again. It is difficult with the amount of material I need to cover each class, but I'm going to try to do it anyway.
Personally, I would like to improve my pacing. If I am nervous, I tend to speed up. I have noticed this when taking on new classes and am probably a little self-conscious about my own command of the subject matter. Once I have done the class a couple of times, the pacing improves and the nervousness subsides.
Engage with ALL students in the class lectures topics, not just the one who respond. Communicate with my silent students more
Hi Mary!
It's really very simple isn't it? Instructors stay in tune with their student's needs while recognizing their learning styles. From there - instructors align their daily plans to meet those needs.
You are doing a great job!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
I know personally I need to work on my non verbal skills. I’m very much kinesthetic and need to keep my hands busy. While presenting demo’s this obviously isn’t a concern but during my lectures I find myself wringing my hands, folding my arms or sometimes messing with something in my pockets. Not only can it be distracting for students I could be coming across as “closed offâ€. This is definitely something I work on daily because the last thing I want is my students to feel I am not approachable.
Hi Mary!
This is a tough one! How do we teach someone to be sensitive to another person's challenges? Some things that come to mind - some of which I don't think would be appropriate in the classroom - but. . .
1. Discuss the situation if the student who stutters is willing - this could be very tricky.
2. Assign classmates as partners - rotating frequently - this should provide a better understanding.
3. Discuss patients, understanding and tolerance.
4. Do an activity on diversity.
None of these would be easy and could backfire. No easy answer.
Anyone who is posting - please share ideas that you may have.
Have you discussed with colleagues, school counselor or student services?
Sorry Mary, I know this isn't much help. Please keep trying to address the situation.
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
My "non-verbal" facial expressions tend to get me into a little bit of trouble at times. I'm very good at my verbal communication except for those time that I tend to OVER explain and RE-repeat myself more times than I should.
Break the words down. Suffix, prefix, combining forms. Link it to the body systems. They seem to grasp medical terms this way fairly well.
Hi Jane: I would like to improve communication skills of my students in their interactions amongst all peers in the class.
One student stutters, therefore others get impatient when he speaks aloud because it takes a little longer for him to collect his thoughts and verbalize them.
This student as well as fellow peers are overly sensitive to this and do not communicate unless I prompt it to occur.
How can I help this person/ peers to increase their communications?
Mary
I would like to do some reading on non-verbal communication in order to improve my perceptions of the students in the class.
I would like to improve my voice projection so everybody at the back of the classroom can hear me.
I respectfully disagree with the "actions speak louder than words" as a comparison to improve communication skills. The context usage here is inacurate. Typically, this anecdote refers to morals and character not gesticulation or any other kind of physical metacommunication.
I would like to improve my use of gestures in classes where I believe the material is easy even as the students struggle. They can read your body language, and can often feel put off by the material if they feel you expect it to be second nature to them.
I believe that I have good listening skills, but as a new instructor I would like to see how I present myself in voice pitch, movement and eye contact through my student's eyes. I really like the idea that was presented in the lesson to record yourself. The videotape doesn't lie and one could see what is lacking and strive to improve.
As an instructor, I would like to improve on my nonverbal communciation skills to enhance better interaction with students and to deliver the message appropriately and effectively. Improving such skills will also help me engage students and aid in simplifying concepts to students and keep them engaged.
