Personalities
How do you manage a person's unwillingness to communicate verbably? Ex. a student whom asked a question responds with very little acknowledgement, so you feel like you have to ask the question mutiple times.
I do use this technique when in demonstration mode. However; in the classroom, I am not as quick to do this in a theory class. Any ideas?
Carrie,
Thanks Carrie, open ended questions are an excellent tool in helping those that may be more quiet in their communications to open up a bit as to their observations and perceptions.
Jay Hollowell
The quiet ones are the hardest people to work with because you know they will be affected the most by constructive feedback. I would almost put them in the "socializer" category towards receiving feedback. What I mean by that is start with possitive feedback and then ask the open ended questions. I have found that it might be good to schedule a time to deliver what needs to be said so the student can prepare and not be caught off guard?
Dawn ,
Thanks, and to your point, asking open-ended questions also gives us the opportunity to see and understand through another's eyes - sometimes giving feedback falls into the trap of presenting suggestions or solutions without really understanding the situation in the first place.
Jay Hollowell
I would agree, students like to engage in a conversation about things hey are interested in, hobbies, technology and etc.
In a situation like that I would repeat the answer the student gave me, asking them if I was clear on their answer. I also often will ask someone to repeat back to me what they heard me say, to ensure my message is getting through to them in the manner I intended
Once you realize that you have a noncommunicating person, you need to make sure to ask open-ended questions and not just yes or no anwers. You would be surprised how much a student's personality changes toward the end of a term because they have been asked questions and made to come out of their shells.
Hi Jessica,
Thanks for your comment, rephrasing is a powerful communication tool!
Jay Hollowell
ML120
If a student did not give the correct answer the first time, I rephrase the question but also tell her or she that they're on the right track.
Thanks Donald, this is wise advice. As an instructor, I know sometimes I ask a question without giving time for the students to respond and, then, not allowing time for the student who does respond to articulate his or her thoughts. Silence is sometimes golden and reflective as opposed to awkward. Responding positively to student and employee responses, even if they are sometimes off the wall, is so important in building confidence and self esteem in others.
Jay Hollowell
ML120 Facilitator
When dealing with students I find it helpful to make it as little threatening as possible. Also always give ample time for a students to respond. Try and wait for 10 seconds or so before calling on someone else or giving additional clues to the question. For employees you may encourage them to seek input from others within a group and try to find something positive within a responce even if it wasn't what you were looking for.
This opportunity comes up more often than not. Getting people to relax and listen start with relaxing and listening.
Donald,
Sounds like you are adapting instructional delivery to different learning styles. Demonstration in particular is such a powerful way for a student to show and apply a skill as well as a hands-on type of assessment. Thanks for your contribution!
Jay
ML120
For non-communicative students I will try and have them demonstrate a procedure or model a behavior so that I may assess they knowledge or psychomotor skills. Also something I find it helpful to ask the question then follow-up at a later time asking if they have given the question further thought and what conclusions they may have drawn.
I try t ask open ended questions so they cannot respond with a yes or no. I try to make them feel comfortable when giving their feedback and genuinely acknowledge their answer.
Try to get them to re-state the question to verify that he understands what is being asked of him.
I might do severl things if there is a lack of acknowledgement. I might rephrase the answer. Or, I might offer the student a phone call or IM as another means of communication. Sometimes, email may seem impersonal and a simple voice makes all the difference.
Thanks, Richard, for your comments! To your point, open-ended questions certainly facilitate conversation and can even be probing, in the right ways, for further insight; whereas, close-ended questions typically address the need for specific information.
When dealing with staff or students that do not want to engage in conversation I have found that starting off with simple open ended questions leads to more conversation.
People want to share their thoughts but some don't know how to start or where so it is necessary to point them in the right direction.
We need to be sure that we show support for the areas in question as well as the areas of strength to aquire their confidence and further the conversation.
