Operaciones y logística. Infraestructura (O)

Through the use of eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, physical proximity to students, and the way you carry yourself, you can communicate that you are in calm control of the class and expect to be taken seriously. Direct eye contact between two people often makes those people uncomfortable. Consequently, teachers and students are inclined to look away when their eyes meet. Frederic Jones (1979), however, has found that control over a classroom situation is exerted when a teacher continually monitors the students, often pausing to look directly into the eyes of individual students.

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By focusing your eyes on individual students and managing to do this regularly for all students, you communicate that each student is an important part of what’s going on in the classroom. Brief nonverbal acknowledgments (e.g., smile or thumbs-up gesture) when you have made eye contact helps communicate that you are aware, interested, and happy that the individual is there. By following Jones’s suggestion about eye contact, you demonstrate Kounin’s withitness.

As you might expect, students who see the teacher nearby are more likely to be on-task than students who are farther away. You should consider planning learning activities so that you are free to roam among your students rather than being stationary (e.g., at a lecture stand or whiteboard or behind a lab table). Chapter 7 offers suggestions for conducting learning activities—even lectures and demonstrations—so that you are able to move among your students and encourage engagement.

Which teacher, the one in Case 4.21 or 4.22, displays more effective use of body language?

CASE 4.21

Ms. Tramonte’s students are working on individual assignments at their desks as she moves about the room answering questions and providing help. While explaining something to Charlie, Ms. Tramonte realizes that Bonnie and John, two students seated behind her, are off-task and becoming disruptive as they talk with one another. Without turning her body around, Ms. Tramonte looks over her shoulder and yells, “Knock it off! I don’t want to hear any more yakking.” (See Figure 4.1.)

©James Cangelosi

Figure 4.1. Ms. Tramonte’s Body Language Fails to Communicate the Seriousness of Her

©James Cangelosi

Figure 4.2. Mr. Brown’s Body Language Leaves No Doubt That He Means What He Says

CASE 4.22

Mr. Brown’s students are working on individual assignments at their desks as he moves about the room answering questions and providing help. While explaining something to Iris, Mr. Brown realizes that Dustin and Annie, two students seated behind him, are off-task and becoming disruptive as they talk to one another. Mr. Brown softly tells Iris, “Excuse me, I’ll be back within 40 seconds.” Mr. Brown pivots and faces Dustin and Annie. He calmly walks toward them and squats down so his eye level meets theirs. With his shoulders parallel to Dustin’s, he looks Dustin in the eyes and softly says, “I would like you to get to work without talking.” (See Figure 4.2.) He immediately turns directly to Annie, achieves eye contact and repeats the message. Standing up, he pivots and returns to Iris.

Unlike Ms. Tramonte, Mr. Brown moved and positioned his body in a way that left no doubt as to whom his message was directed and no doubt that he was serious about having his directions followed.

Teachers sometimes make the mistake of saying one thing to students but commu- nicating another through their body language. Case 4.23 is an example.

CASE 4.23

At the whiteboard, Ms. Nagle is writing some sentences that she has directed her students to classify as either simple or compound. Writing with her back to the students, she is disturbed by loud talking from the class. “No more talking!” she says without pausing from her writing task. The students quit talking momentarily, but soon the noise level increases again. Continuing to write

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but now looking over her shoulder toward the class, she shouts, “I’ve had it with all this noise! I said, ‘No more talking!’”

Ms. Nagle’s students didn’t take what she said very seriously. Her voice hinted at stress and indicated to them that she was not really in control. Her body language indicated that she was willing to continue with the learning activity although she hadn’t obtained their cooperation. Because she didn’t bother to face them and command their attention, they didn’t attend to her demand for no more talking. Do you think Ms. Terrell in Case 4.24 will be more successful in getting her students to follow her directions?

CASE 4.24

At the whiteboard, Ms. Terrell is writing some sentences that she has directed her students to classify as either simple or compound. Writing with her back to the students, she is disturbed by loud talking from the class. Ms. Terrell puts the marker down, pivots, and directly faces the class. She pans her eyes across the class, making eye contact with one student and then another. In a moment she feels they are ready to listen, and she says, “The talking is disturbing me and those of you who are trying to analyze these sentences.” She pauses and observes them briefly before turning around to continue with her task.