Eye Contact
Maintaining eye contact with the student will show that you are interested in their learning. It also helps you observe facial expressions to see if they are understanding the material.
Eye contact helps me "read" my audience. I can tell if they are understanding or day dreaming. Sometimes lecture time is too long and I can see in the students facial expression that they need a break or they need to move on to something else. At the same time students know that I care enough to give them a break so that they can come back to lecture with a clear mind.
I often find that maintaining eye contact and responding to facial expressions by smiling or nodding can serve as the non-verbal "green light" for that student to answer or engage in classroom discussion. You can repeat this with different students, and perhaps even draw out those reticent students in your class.
Hi Susan!
Maintaining eye contact is a really good way to say to students that you are interested in their success and that you are friendly and approachable. It also helps build students self-esteem as it makes them feel valuable to the learning process.
Good job!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
It also helps you notice what students are following along and the students may need some extra attention. In most causes if they are with you, their eyes will tell the story. If they look confused it's probably because they are and you must recognize that!
yes and also to give a little extra attention to the students that you know are not quite as involved or interested.
When making eye contact, it is important not to focus entirely on that one person while you are talking, but try and make eye contact with everyone in the room or area so that way they feel as though there is one on one personal attention.
