Transcript Slide 1

Communicating
With Your Students
Sarah Wilcoxon and Tim Pressley
PIE Associate
Overview
• Nonverbal Communication
• Verbal Communication
• Final Considerations
Nonverbal Communication
• Teacher immediacy (students’ perception of
your physical and psychological distance)
affects learning. High teacher immediacy (low
perceived distance) is a predictor of teaching
effectiveness. Consider your
– Physical: Your placement in the classroom
– Psychological: tone, facial features, body language
Verbal Communication
• Purpose
– What do I want to accomplish?
• Channel
– What’s the best way to send this and accomplish my purpose?
– Sometimes your channel is pre-determined. In that case, are there
any particular considerations for your channel?
• Message
– What’s the best way to say this and accomplish my purpose?
– How can I increase my immediacy with my message (while still
remaining professional)?
Verbal: Purpose – Channel – Message
Any nonverbal communication considerations?
Office Hours
Email
Classroom
A student is
upset about
their final grade,
and they want
to know if they
can do extra
credit. Extra
credit is not an
option. But they
haven’t taken
the final exam
yet, which could
raise them a
letter grade.
A student emailed
to say they’ll miss
class. No other
details are given.
They want to
makeup a quiz.
Your policy is to
only allow makeup
work for University
excused absences
with
documentation.
A student is
constantly on their
phone during class.
It is becoming a
distraction to you
and to other
students. You asked
students not to use
phones in your
syllabus, but no
specific
consequence is
outlined.
Final Considerations
• Reminders:
– Increase immediacy(lower perceived distance) with both
nonverbal and verbal communication.
– Consider your purpose, channel, and message in verbal
communication.
• Keep all communication professional.
• Check for communication clarity. Did they understand?
• Follow through – mean what you say, and say what you
mean.
• Legal Communication Considerations – FERPA
For more information about teacher immediacy:
http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/affect
ive/immediacy.html