Maintaining Eye Contact
"Looking someone in the eye" helps develop repore with them. It is a method of including them, engaging them in what you are doing. Maintaining eye contact helps you to read their interest, their emotion, their agreement or disagreement, their understanding. It helps me pace my lecture also.
What is the value of having eye contact with students?
maintaining eye contact with your students assure you that they are paying attention and not sleeping.the classes i teach are at 8 am and most of the students have children to get off to school before they can leave.in the lab since my classes are small we all seat around a table for the check-offs if possible.
Eye contact makes students feel important, valued and noticed. These factors are important if you are going to be an effective teacher. Also eye contact allows the teacher to tell if students are getting it. In otherwords, are they confused? Do they know what you are talking about? Or is this a little boring to them and we can go through this section quicker.
I think eye contact increases trust between student/teacher. Avoiding eye contact could be an indication of lack of confidence. Also, engage students in discussions. One more thing, you are sending a message to students. THEY ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU!.
It does make the students feel more like a part of the classroom. It also helps controlling the texting bug.
Eye contact is yet another way that we communicate. Non-verbal cues provide a gateway for people to become engaged in the conversation. I am an online instructor and often state that the only disadvantage is not being able to use nonverbal cues in my teaching. It is something that I used to my advantage in face to face training for so many years - it took a lot to get used to speaking through a microphone to my students without a way to know if they are engaged.
I think it helps students feel that you care about them as individual learners. If the instructor doesn't look at the students, it makes them seem aloof & uncaring.
Maintaining eye contact is crucial in showing students that you are focused on getting your points across to them. It is also a great way to assess whether or not the students are comprehending the subject matter.
I agree with you 100% Dorothy. Good eye contact allows instructors to develop that nonverbal rapor with students. This shows students that your comfortable in your eye contact with them as they shoulod be with you.
The value of having eye contact with students allows them to stay focused and attentive. Your able to see the faces and how much listening is being done.
Maintaining eye contact gives me an idea of how well the students are getting what I'm teaching. If I get the "deer in the headlights" look then I know I need to change something...explain it differently, use an example, etc. I also can tell when students need a break when you see some students with heavy eyelids. This ocurrs most often right after lunch!
Maintaining or making eye contact shows the students you are interested in them and it also keeps them engaged.
Having eye contact not only shows the student you are interested in their learning but, it also allows the educator to see if the learner understand the information presented.
It helps make the student feel like they're a part of the class and that the instructor does acknowledge their presence
It is important to make eye contact with students but it is also important not to cross the line between eye contact and staring! Eye contact should not be maintained for more that approx. 3 seconds, beyond this can make the student feel 'uncomfortable'.
I think eye contact with students is very important. For one, it let's the student know that you are approachable and that you care whether that student is successful in your class or not. It also let's you know whether the student is paying attention in your class or whether they are asleep.
I also think that it lets your student know that you are aware that they are in class as an individual not just as a number.
Eye contact is an active listening technique. It should be a very clear indication to students that you care about their thoughts. It also promotes trust, the trust that eye contact can give to a student helps them relax in the classroom. I always try for eye contact within the first quarter of lecture, then the students are more engaged in the class lecture.
Thank You,
Byron
Greetings Denise,
I'm not sure thete is a good answer to this challenge bef human because of human nature. We can only help students wirh seeling the best outcomes possible. Knowing qour students is an excellent start though.
Keep up.the good work!
Jane Davis
ED 106 Facilitator
Hi Denise!
I agree when you know your students, you are better able to help understand and comprehend the information.
Great job!
Jane Davis
ED 106 Facilitator
