Communicate With Body Language While Teaching

A public high school teacher posts here about the use of body language when teaching.  Her suggestions would also work for those of us in college classrooms. 

• Stand in front of the classroom to lecture if presenting a lot of information.
• Lean against a desk while talking when you want to encourage discussion while retaining control.
• Sit down when you want students to take ownership of the discussion.

I found it helps to move around including toward the back of the room if the students seem to need more stimulation.  Having to turn their heads to follow me keeps them engaged. 

I have also found a stern look with my eyebrows raised silences the student who is whining or being disruptive.

Does anyone have other suggestions on how to use body language while teaching?

Comments

[Michael Wagner]

There are great suggestions and seem to be, as best my memory will allow, exactly how the best of my teachers managed their classrooms.

Keep creating,
Mike

[Ms. Cornelius]

I am so pleased you found my suggestions helpful!

It;s not exactly body language, but when I really want students' attention, I actually slightly lower my voice, and the students know I don't repeat myself needlessly. They usually then demonstrate body language that signals their attention: leaning forward, eyes narrowed slightly.

[Delaney Kirk]

I tell the participants in my workshops on teaching that raising your voice does not work...your advice in lowering your voice is right on as the students will stop and be quiet so they can hear. Thanks for stopping by.

[Tom Haskins]

There's several body language techniques I use to raise the energy of a class. I raise my own hand, like I'm one of the students, when I ask for a show of hands. I smile when I'm delighted with a comment, question or example of what we're exploring. If the contribution is extraordinary, I'll do a hand pump like Tiger Woods after an amazing putt.

I usually cover the entire white board in the front of the room with diagrams and key concepts during the first half of a class. This allows me to walk back to previous points - both to tie together the barrage of ideas, and to be active in the front of the room - keeping their eyeballs in motion.

When I'm posing a tough question, I'll hold or scratch my chin to add a sense of theater to the tension of there being no easy answers. When I am contrasting two points of view, I'll look at each hand as if they are holding one of them. I can then act out the viewpoints growing irreconcilably distant or coming together on several issues.

[Delaney Kirk]

Hi Tom,
Thanks for the suggestions. I think students like professors who are energetic and our body language conveys our enthusiasm for our subject matter!