Effective Communication and Class Room Teaching: Tips to manage class in an effective

manner

Effective Communication Tips for the Classroom

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Effective communication is essential for a well-run classroom. Although this sounds

simple and obvious, it requires much more than a teacher saying something out loud
to a student.

Communicate Respectfully
Respect is the foundation of effective communication, especially in the classroom. Teachers and students
demonstrate respectful communication in the following ways:
 Use a tone that is honest and tactful, choosing words that are appropriate to the situation and
noninflammatory.

 When taking on a listening role, make eye contact and focus on the speaker.

 Speak in turn, never interrupting the speaker. Teachers who model respect with their students have
more respectful classrooms overall because students learn how to communicate respectfully and see
its effectiveness.
Repeat Your Message in Different Ways
While most communication in a classroom starts verbally, many students don't take in what they hear the
first time. Effective communication requires using different techniques in communication. When you want
to make a point, consider what visual tools can help you in addition to your verbal communication. For
example, if you are discussing rules of conduct, have a chart handy with graphics to help students
remember. In a lecture situation, offer hand-outs that outline the points you are making. Give the students
something to do that reflects the idea you are communicating. Repeat yourself at least twice verbally and
offer something for students to look at, hold, or do that will also reinforce your message.
Check for Understanding
A teacher should always check for understanding. The simple question, "Do you understand?" will not
result in much information, as most students will either nod or sit passively. Students can write down one
sentence that summarizes what they think the lesson or lecture was about, or they can write a question
they have about the lesson. In a one-on-one conversation, a teacher should ask the student to repeat the
main point or outcome of the conversation.
Nonverbal Communication
Everyone communicates nonverbally through facial expressions and gestures. Effective communication in
the classroom requires careful use of these nonverbal cues. A teacher who rolls her eyes at a student's
question sends a louder message than her careful and expert verbal response. A disapproving stare can
work wonders on a student who is off task. A bright smile for a student who is having a bad day means
more than he will ever reveal. Gestures and animated facial expressions also give weight and enthusiasm
to what a teacher has to say. Students who see a teacher actively engaged in what she is teaching will be
much more engaged themselves.
Source:http://www.ehow.com/
 QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER DURING LESSON PLANNING
To help students go from surface to deep learning, we can ask ourselves three questions:
1. From the facts or skills being taught, which concepts are at the heart of the learning? For
instance, a unit on the human body may be driven by the concepts of system, interdependence,
and health.
2. Which connections between concepts would we like students to make as a result of the learning?
For example, in mathematics, we may ask students to connect the concepts of multiplication and
division. In science, we may wish to see how they draw links between photosynthesis and energy
transformation.
3. What opportunities for application and transfer can we design to help students take their learning
further? For instance, we may ask students who have learned about principles of art and design
to create posters for a social or environmental cause of their choice.

These questions reflect different levels of conceptual thinking. If students do not have a strong
understanding of individual concepts, they’ll struggle to see patterns and make connections between
them. Likewise, if we don’t give students time to construct understanding, it will be challenging for them to
apply their ideas to projects, current events, or other new contexts.

 Share a concept and ask students to generate their own examples or non-examples. These can be
represented in words or pictures.
2. Asking students to make connection
To support generalizing, we can design activities that require students to link concepts.

Concept linking activities:

 Invite students to take the role of a specific concept explored in a unit, and ask them to sit in a circle of
four or five people, each representing a different concept. They then make connections to each other,
explaining how and why they connect using evidence from prior learning.

 Use graphic organizers that ask students to collaboratively synthesize multiple case studies. For
instance, have students read about Malala Yousafzai, Martin Luther King Jr., and Greta Thunberg and
take notes using a triple Venn diagram that will help them answer the question, “How do change
makers overcome challenges?”
3. Planning for transfer: Activities that invite students to form concepts and make connections between
them prime the brain for transfer—in each of these stages of conceptual thinking, we help students to
reason abstractly and identify the “So what?” of their learning. Once students have formed connections
between concepts and articulated these as understandings, we can provide them with opportunities to
apply them to new situations. This allows students to see the relevance of their learning to both near and
far contexts.

Transfer activities:

Give students a novel case study to grapple with and invite them to apply their understandings. Ask them
to revise their thinking: How might we need to change our original idea to include the new case study?
Invite students to take a stance on a provocative statement and debate using their prior knowledge and
understanding. For instance, “Plants are the most important organisms within an ecosystem” could be
discussed at the end of an ecosystems unit.