Paying Attention to Your Students
In this section, one thing brought me back to my earlier years of being in school. I can still remember the teachers who paid attention to me as I was talking and the ones who were doing things while I was talking like shuffling through papers or not making eye contact. I guess this did make an impact on how I teach. It is good to learn from things that have happened to each of us so that we will not do things like this to our students. Something simple like putting our hands on your hips or crossing your arms while a student is talking can make such an impact on them. In an online setting, making sure that you do not use ALL CAPS is so important. Does anyone have any other things that could be perceived as being negative in an online setting? Thanks! Have a great day! Laurie :)
I absolutely agree that paying attention to students while they are speaking is crucial to fostering productive classroom discussion and good student attitudes. Especially when the student speaking talks all the time, it's very tempting to prepare the next part of the lesson--especially when time is tight. I've fallen into this trap myself. However, I try to stop and remind myself that I may not appear to be listening, even though I am. That helps me refocus.
I remember reading a study a while back that indicated that a huge percentage of communication over the internet (the study dealt with email in particular) is misunderstood. Words online often lack tone and context, and are sometimes expressed less carefully than we would in person. It's also hard to take the listener's reaction into consideration when we don't have somebody to react to in real-time.
In general, I find emoticons work well online to help establish tone and a human connection. All CAPS is indeed perceived as shouting, which can come across as rude. Another common complaint online is trolling, or repeatedly posting to a focum about a topic you just can't let go. The simple remedy is to step back and think things through carefully before posting, rather than just reacting. One also needs to know when to simply let things go! Although students often have experience online on sites where they pretty much agree with everyone present, the sorts of disagreement that can happen in a structured online course are often new to them. It's therefore crucial to establish the expectations of such exchanges from the start, so everyone is on the same page.
Hi Bryan,
Thank you for the insight about how to express emotion as well as carry on a discussion that keeps focused on the topic rather than just flying all over the place. This advice will benefit everyone that is involved in the communication business of teaching.
Gary
I think that as instructors we are used to planning for upcoming material. It is quite often that we are distracted while getting ready for the next step and answering our students at the same time. I think this is one of the worst mistakes an educator might frequently make. I'll try to avoid this situation happening in my class.
I agree one of the mistakes you try to avoid is getting distracted and not paying attention to your students because you lose track of how much they are taking in and remembering about the material
Hi Joseph,
What are some strategies you have found successful for keeping on target with your content?
Gary
Personally I think most people missed what the topic of paying attention is about. Here we are talking about retention. The attention I pay them is to watch them closely. I'm looking for the one that has the slumped sholders, or the one that his clothes stay dirty. I had one that had a problem with his pants falling down so I asked him where his belt was, he replied," I don't have one." I took mine off and handed it to him. Now every time I see that young man he just looks at me and beems. You see now he has a piece of me, his favorite instructor.What we as instructors' need to notice the most is the body language. They know that I care, how could I not?, it is what I show them.
Hi Keith,
This is both a great example and inspiring story about the impact an instructor can have on the life of a student. You have given through a simple act a gift that will be treasured for the life of the student. That student knows someone cares about his success and future. Keep up the great work.
Gary
Yes I agree, body language is very important and our speach is a key component in the teaching field , you either win or loss their respect as an authoritive figure
Hi Deborah,
It is amazing how little things within body language can be "read" as being supportive or not by students. We need to make sure we are aware of how we present ourselves so the students can see how we are supportive of their efforts and career success.
Gary
I find a great way to pay attention, is listen, I mean really listen to what your student is saying. Repeat back their question with your response. It really validates your willingness to hear, absorb and respond on their inquiry.
Hi Erin,
The saying "You are not learning if you are always talking." applies here. Listening is a very powerful learning tool for everyone and we instructors need to develop our skills as effective learners.
Gary
