Nonverbal Clues
I must admit, I'm guilty of shuffling the papers to look for info while a student is talking. I'll make a conscientious effort to eliminate that behavior in the future.
I would not use word "smarter" but I would agree that some students could understand the situation and, especially, the particular environment better that some of us.
Hi Patricia,
Right you are. What are some of the strategies that work for you to get your students moving around and engaged in working with each other?
Thanks for your input on this.
Gary
I find that addressing students by name and moving around the class keeps them engaged.
It is all about the body language
Hi Linda,
When I encounter such behavior I take it as a personal challenge to try to reengage them. This gets me excited because I am looking for the key that will enable me to get them focused on the content or the work tasks. So instead of letting them take me down I work to help them be successful by talking with them, asking them questions, and using any other activity I can think of to help them learn.
Gary
I find in "reading" my students they can bring me down. If they are on their computers, undercover texting or just plain glazed over, it impacts my enthusiasm and my ability to continue. Does anyone have any strategies that I can use to overcome this?
Linda
Hi Michele,
I can tell you are going to have a great career in teaching. You have the wisdom to capture the essence of student needs and then build an educational plan around those needs. Yes, you are going to teach them to "fish/learn" for a lifetime.
Gary
Hi Dr. Meers,
I really like the quote and want to share it with my students.
I like to teach them the analogy for catching fish: If you feed a man a fish you feed him for a day but if you teach the man how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime. The same holds true for education. We are responsible to teach our students how to learn so that they can continue learning for a lifetime. It's not totally about remembering how to enter and Excel formula or create a Power Point presentation as these things can be looked up in a reference guide as much as it is about teaching them how to [critically] think and respond to the environments around them.
Once the students realize that they know how to be smart, their self esteem imporves and they take off and begin soaring with the eagles.
I have also done this in the past. I realize now that rather than using that time to catch up or process paperwork I have been actually giving the impression I didn't care. I feel bad about this now and will make a concerted effort to discontinue this practice and pay more attention to my students.
It's difficult to both break eye contact and walk away. I don't want to offend the student. I will try walking away while keeping eye contact. Do you think both together work better?
Laura, this is what I have found as well. I work at a technical school and find many of our students have been through quite a lot by the time they decided to come here. This combined with the fact that people are not writing as much, instead depending on texting and email. They have lost their ability to communicate, read body language, speak and write in anything resembling proper english.
It can also get confusing if you have students from many differnt cultures whose non verbal customs are different than we are use to.
I think body language (non verbal clues) have a direct representation of the instructors dedication to the student. We are in the spotlight every time we enter the classroom. (and out of the classroom of that matter.)
Hi Virginia,
"Reading" students means look for their eye movement, body language and over all attitude in relation to the class. By reading them you can develop a picture of whether or not you are reaching them with your instructional efforts.
Gary
Hi Virginia,
Right you are about the students being smart in different ways. I say a saying that captures where these students are coming from. It is "Its not how smart you are but how you are smart." To me this is really true.
Gary
What does the "read" my students mean?
The students come from all walks of life--some of them are "street smart"--smarter than you are!
Adult learners pick up very quickly by your body language if you truly care and are actively listening to what they say.
I am continuously trying to "read" my students. Their nonverbal communication gives me clues as to what they like or dislike in the classroom and even if they need some advice outside of the classroom.
