Art of Speaking
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How A Teacher Should Speak So Students Listen?
It’s common for teachers to bemoan the state of listening in their classroom.
“Sometimes I feel like I’m talking to walls or myself.”
“I say it over and over again, and they still don’t get it.”
“It’s almost as if they’ve completely tuned out of my class.”
But rarely teachers will point to themselves as the reason.Rarely will they use reflective thinking and analyze their own practice.Most of the teachers have the notion that students either listen well or they don’t, and as speaker they have little to do about it.But the truth is, you have a profound effect on listening.
The process is teaching learning ; speaking listening i.e. equal weight age to both. Consistency, temperament, likability, clarity, presentation skills, and even tidiness are all important factors but one of the most important factors is how you speak when giving directions and explaining any topic/concept
What follows are three simple changes that can make a big difference.
1.Talk less.
Most teachers talk too much. Their voice is a looping soundtrack to every day reminding, warning, micromanaging and guiding students through every this and that.Let the students ask questions. If you cut the amount of talking you do by a third, and focus only on what your students need to know, then what you say will have greater impact.
Your words will reach their intended destination, and your students will begin tuning you in rather than tuning you out.
2.Maintain Pace while Speaking .
Teacher is not super fast or slow news reader. You have to maintain good pace with clear pronunciation so student grasp what you are speaking. Very fast or very slow speed will tune the class out.
3.Lower your voice.
It’s common to increase your volume to get students to listen better. But a loud voice is unpleasant and too easy to hear. It causes them to look away and busy themselves with other things. Always modulate your voice to catch attention.When you lower your voice, however, and speak just loud enough for students in the back of the room to hear, they instinctively lean in. They stop moving and rustling.They read your lips, facial expressions, and body language. By requiring a small amount of effort, your students will listen more intently.
4.Stop repeating.
When you repeat the same directions over and over, you train your students not to listen to you the first time. You encourage apathy and lighten their load of responsibility.
Saying it once creates urgency. It motivates action and causes students to stay locked in to the sound of your voice.
It also invests them in their learning. They begin to understand that education isn’t something that is done to them. Rather, it’s something they go out and get for themselves.
5.Stay The Course
If you’re struggling with listening, the above strategies will do wonders. At first, however, they may cause things to get worse. Because your students have grown accustomed to you taking on the burden for their listening, they may very well ignore you.They may become even slower to action.This is normal. It tells you how far learned helplessness has taken root in your classroom. But once they feel the shift in responsibility from you to them, they’ll begin to change.
6. Keep Asking Questions.
During the class keep asking questions related to the topic . They’ll begin looking at you, tracking your movements, and anticipating what you want them to do next. Student will pay more attention. They’ll begin nodding their heads and eagerly completing your directions.By following these tips I am sure students will empowered to learn better for themselves because responsibility feels good.
It’s important to be part of class. It fills with pride. It makes good listeners.
HAPPY TEACHING – LEARNING.
Dr Rajesh Sharma
Principal,
Calorx Public School,
Ghatlodia , Ahmedabad
