Effective Communication Strategies

Before Class Begins

On your way to your class, practice focusing on the moment -- where you are and what you’re about to be doing.
Leave your worries at the door step (as the song goes.) Forget your other projects, papers, family issues. You’re about to become a “teacher.”
Arrive to your classroom early.
Greet students as they walk in.
Walk up and down the aisles (if it’s a large class), make eye-contact with the students, invade their space, snoop into what they’re reading, complement them on their good looking notes, ask them questions (see below.)

Nonverbal Communication Skills

Good eye contact is critical. Look into the eyes of your students. (Don’t look at the floor or the chalk board)
Smile. You like this class, remember?
Nod your head as others are speaking; it demonstrates that you’re following their point, and you understand what they’re saying.
Invade their space. Move around during class. Move away from the lectern. Get closer to where the students are.
Demonstrate how enthusiastic you are. It’s OK to say you like your material, and you want to share that with the students. If you aren’t enthusiastic, it will show. Find out how you can engender your own enthusiasm in the material. If you don’t think the material is worth learning, why should the student?

When reading the body language of students: Don’t assume that students who appear disengaged are. Remember: It’s easy to misinterpret body language. Students are often more engaged than we assume; even if outward appearances say they aren’t. Give them the benefit of the doubt. Don’t allow negatively read body language to throw you off course, or dampen your excitement for the material you are able to cover.

Verbal Communication Skills

Make sure you speak loud enough so everyone can hear you. Speak for the student in the last row.
Enunciate. Speak clearly. Take the gum out of your mouth.
In a larger class, your gestures and voice must be broader, and larger than what may seem normal to you.
The voice box is a most amazing tool. And most of us do not use it very well. Practice changing your pace, your pitch, your volume for emphasis, and just to add some variety to your voice.
Your vocal quality speaks volumes about your interest in the material you’re addressing. Speak with some enthusiasm in your voice.

Rules for Using Humor in class:

Rely on your own personal sense of humor. We are not comedians, but we all should be able to see ourselves and our experiences with some levity. Let that come through.
A little humor breaks the ice, and helps to create a congenial, friendly atmosphere. When the class is happy, students are more likely to participate in a discussion in class.
Never make jokes at the expense of students.
Do not make jokes that offend the sensibilities of your students. It is very easy to unintentionally offend your students.
Sarcasm does not belong in the classroom. Most students read sarcasm the wrong way. Don’t use it.

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Attitude is everything

Develop positive attitude towards students. They are not the enemy – they’re students. Collaborate with them in the learning process. You’re in this together.
Learn to empathize with the students.
Make the students feel important.
Praise good performance

Discussions

There are many ways to engage the students in the classroom. Engaging the students in a discussion is a time-honored method for doing so. It is important, however, that you have an agenda for the discussion, that is, a goal to accomplish, a question to answer.
A good discussion follows from good classroom rapport. This is why you come to class early, greet your students, interact with them in a more personal way—to build rapport.
A good discussion question doesn’t just happen. You should formulate your questions in advance (if possible.) The question should be phrased so you are asking for an open-ended response to specific question.
Consider are you asking for a factual reply? An opinion? A feeling? An attitude?
Discussion questions may also begin with a controversy. Don’t be afraid to play the devil’s advocate. Take an opposite point of view, and have the class argue against your perspective.
Start by asking for a show of hands who agree with a controversial perspective.
Good discussions also follow from having an instructor who can model the following behaviors:
1. being open to new ideas.
2. accepting uncertainty.
3. suspending judgment of others.
4. listening carefully to what others are saying. Being an active listener. Paraphrase the comment to check for accuracy.
5. being tolerant of view points that differ from yours
Phrases that you should include in your repertoire of responses to student’s comments:
- That’s an interesting idea; tell us more.
- I think you’re on to something. Can anyone else pick this up?
- That’s a good question. I don’t know the answer. Can anyone help us out here?
- I’m not sure I understand what you’re saying. Can you give us an example?
- Do you (the other students) agree with this point of view?