| In order to vitally engage students, teachers need to work hard to
captivate and to sustain the attention of students. Teachers and presenters need to
understand that power in captivating and influencing students and participants is often in
the non-verbal aspects of teaching and communication. Students are often more attentive to
what we do than to what we say. Teachers need to concern
themselves with visual issues and body language in communication and teaching. They have
to expend energy to communicate personal commitment to the students and to the content of
lessons. Further, they need to actively listen to students. However, the rewards for
exerting effort and energy in teaching and presenting can be great, when teachers see
productivity that has been inspired by their enthusiastic commitment to students and to
content of lessons.
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Tips for Energizing Teaching
and Student Productivity:
- Know your students, participants, audience members.
- Establish rapport with students, participants, or audience members.
(1) Learn names.
(2) Learn about them.
(3) Refer to them by name and according to their interests.
- Provide and follow an agenda and schedule for each lessons or presentation.
- Realize that you, as the teacher or presenter, are visual media.
(1) "A picture is worth a thousand words."
(2) Realize that you, as the presenter, are a visual aid.
(3) Wear bright colors without busy patterns. Avoid white, as it can cause a glare.
If you wear a white shirt or blouse, wear a dark jacket
over it.
(4) Wear simple hairstyles.
(5) Female presenters should wear a little make-up.
(6) Female teachers or presenters should not wear dangling earrings or a lot of jewelry.
- Keep your presentation visually interesting.
(1) Realize that the room in which you are presenting is a "set."
(2) Make sure that the background behind you is not busy.
(3) Blue is a good color for a background. Avoid a white background, as it can
cause a glare and can mke you appear washed-out.
(4) Don't be a "talking head."
(5) Use body language that is confident and engaging.
(6) Gesture deliberately and naturally with hands at about waist height.
(7) Do not step back from the students or podium.
(8) Smile.
(9) Effective communicators convey by their facial expressions and body language
that they are intensely involved in and committed to what
they are presenting.
(10) Appear energetic and intensely committed to what you are presenting.
(11) Leaning in toward the audience conveys sincerity.
(12) Appear visually interesting, warm, others-centered, and connected to the
audience.
(13) Use pleasing lighting.
(14) Enunciate carefully and emphasize your consonants for good diction.
(15) Open your mouth and actively use articulators ( lips, teeth, and tongue) as you
speak.
(16) Project your voice forward.
(17) Use vocal variety.
(18) Involve students, participants, and audience in discussions or interactive
projects.
(19) Ask questions.
(20) Give immediate feedback to responses.
(21) In giving a response to participant’s question, refer to the question in your
answer.
(24) Try to focus the discussions on the content for the day, avoiding social,
argumentative, or unproductive dialogue.
(25) Look directly at your audience and maintain eye contact.
(26) Do not speak or interrupt until other speakers have completed their
thoughts.
(27) Avoid extraneous, distracting noise.
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