Eye Contact
Does the lack of eye contact always mean that someone is either lying or nervous?
In some schools you get students that are international students, and their culture or customs might differ than those of our culture and customs.
In these situations what is the best way to handle these encounters?
Good point Rudy. Something to consider with the lack of eye contact is that based on a person's preferred communication style, their eyes may go up or down and may not be related to lying, but certainly could be related to being nervous. Taking the time to find common ground and build rapport is a great step in helping the prospective student trust you and share their experiences with you. What are some techniques you use to find common ground with your students?
Dr. Jean Norris
The lack of eye contact with the students that i encounter at my school, means to me that the student is lying or very nervous. So i find common ground and build trust so the student could open up to me and really talk to me about what he/she is going through.
Thank you for your post Marie. Taking the time to build rapport can be so powerful; I'm pleased to see it has helped you with this potential obstacle.
I agree.I also encounter international students. I have found if you talk to them a little more and build rapport you can get them to look up at you. I think this is an obstacle that can be overcome during an interview.
You're asking some good questions and all need to be considered when working with our students. There are many reasons why someone might not make eye contact and a cultural custom may be one of the reasons. Taking the time to make small talk and build rapport may help to make the student feel more comfortable and open up more throughout the interview; however, being creative and adapting our approach to meet the student at their comfort level may be the best approach. The decision to attend school is scary for some people and our job is to calm their fears the best we can so that they can make the best decision for their future. Thank you for your post.
