The Importance Maintaining Eye Contact in the Classroom
As both a campus-based and online instructor I have found it imperative to maintain good eye contact in order to ensure students are comfortable and engaged in the classroom. One of the pertinent articles that I've discovered online discusses 6 ways to framatically improve your eye contact skills.
Of course when conducting a lecture online you must maintain eye contact in a much different fashion thatn in the traditional classroom. For example, I make it a practice to continually encourage students to share their experiences that pertain to the topics of discussion. I also draw them into illustrations by using their names and their current occupations.
Food for thought anyway.
Dave
Reference.
http://www.stevenaitchison.co.uk/blog/6-ways-to-dramatically-improve-your-eye-contact-skills/
I too love keeping eye contact with my students. So many people suffer from that feeling that they are invisible and not important. When you look at your students with a smile and you engage them, they cannot help but feel your interest in their success coming through. Once they are engaged you can usually work miracles! Some may take more work than others, but the rewards of their breakthroughs are priceless! Christina
Dave,I totally agree with you.It also shows them that you care about them.
I had a student that would never give me eye contact,found out it was against their culture and I respected that fact.
I teach in the evening and my students are tired,When I am floating through the classroom and keeping eye contact it keeps them awake and motivated.
David,
this is a great point & thank you for sharing your experience in the online environment, something I think we forget about.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
