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FA L L 2 0 1 2

7 Ways to Talk to Your Students

C O N T E N T SIntroduction | 2

Model Positive Behaviors | 3

Use Specific Languagefor Feedback and Praise | 4

Use Body Language | 5

Engage in AppropriateConversations | 6

Avoid Power Struggles | 7

Use Humor | 8

Communicate ThroughTechnology | 9

Illustrations: David Clark

NEA Today Professional—Ane-book of practical resourcesfor educators.

And Create a Positive Learning Environment

7 Ways to Talkto Your Students

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In this e-book, we explore the ways teachers canuse words and actions to model behavior, offer feed-back and praise, communicate through body lan-guage, engage in conversations, avoid powerstruggles, use humor, connect electronically, andhandle difficult life events.

The information in this e-book comes from edu-cators like you, who have come up with some triedand true as well as some novel ways to communicatewith students in ways that invite active engagementin learning.

For example, one teacher gets her students firedup with the latest technology—she offers critiques ofstudents’ writing via individual podcasts, which haveproven irresistible to students. Another teacher useshumor to help her students relax so they are moreopen to learning. You don’t have to be a stand-upcomic, you just want to lighten up the atmosphere.

Another way to impart calm in your classroom isthrough body language. For example, greeting stu-dents at the doorway shows you’re happy to seethem and sets up a positive learning environmenteven before they sit down.

We hope this e-book will be an often-used refer-ence tool for your classroom communications needs.

Demonstrate the behavior you want from stu-dents. Show respect and courtesy in daily interac-tions with students and other adults. Use words ofinclusion and be aware of your tone of voice. Thesebehaviors can enhance interpersonal relationshipsand promote a positive classroom atmosphere.

How toCommunicate With

Your Students

As the teacher, you set the tone for yourclassroom. And your language andactions determine the atmosphere ofthe learning environment.

One way to create a positive learning envi-ronment is to be mindful about the wordsand manner you use to communicate with

students. Your words can convey respect, friendli-ness, playfulness, or seriousness. By your actions,you set boundaries that let students know what isacceptable and unacceptable behavior in theclassroom. When students know what is expectedof them, they are more likely to be relaxed andreceptive to learning.

If you want students to feel free to explore andsafe enough to make mistakes and learn from them,you can convey that through the words you use andthe actions you take.

Model PositiveBehaviors

Teachers are role models for their students all day, everyday, so I take my words and actions veryseriously. Modeling positive behavior—and

discussing it with my students—helps me create apositive environment where students feel safe andcared for and where they can develop behavioralskills they will use the rest of their lives. Here are threeways I do that:

Show RespectI model respect to my students by listening to themand showing them that I care about things that areimportant to them. I apologize when I’ve forgotten todo something I said I’d do, when I lose my temper, orwhen I make a mistake. I also encourage respectfulbehavior through classroom discussions aboutrespect. And I praise students when they showrespect.

Think Out LoudTo demonstrate how to think through a problem, Ithink out loud. It’s the same technique whetheryou’re demonstrating the solution to a math prob-

lem—where you tell students your thought processes asyou’re solving the problem—or you’re talking about an every-day dilemma you’re facing.

Sometimes, I ask students to help me come up with alesson idea. I tell them the goal and ask them to think aboutpossible ways to accomplish it. Next, I ask them to think about

the pros and cons of the ideas. We’re all thinking out loud. Andthen, we decide the best way and begin the work.

Show Your Human SideTo show students that their skills and interests, as well asacademics, are valued, I ask them about different aspects oftheir lives. In turn, I share stories about my triathlons, cats, andwriting. When teachers talk about their lives outside of school,it’s an opportunity to model talking in positive ways aboutoneself. Such stories and conversations can help studentsthink and talk in positive ways about themselves.

Being a role model can be daunting—our students areobserving us all the time—but it is also a wonderful opportu-nity to show students a positive way of looking at themselves.By showing respect, thinking out loud, and showing studentsmy human side, I model behaviors I’d like to see in my stu-dents, and through classroom discussions, I give students anopportunity to learn and practice skills they will need in life.

—by Sheila Kohl

Related LinkPowerful Role Models: Seven Ways to Make a Positive Impact on Children. http://articles.submityourarticle.com/powerful-role-models-seven-ways-to-make-a-positive-impact-on-children-29799

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F R E E C L A S S R O O MT I P S N E W S L E T T E R —N E A’ S WO R K S 4 M E

IDEAS BY EDUCATORS, FOR EDUCATORSBrowse hundreds of online tips or search for a specific topic at www.nea.org/tools/Works4Me.html.

Once a week, the free Works4Me e-newsletter delivers the best tips of the bunch to your in-box. Sign up at www.nea.org/tools/31965.htm.

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7 Ways to Talkto Your Students

Use Specific Languagefor Feedback and Praise

Good Job. Way to go. Excellent. Hearing these wordsfrom their teachers may make students feel good,but they don’t let students know what they did well.

Instead, teachers should give students positive, specificfeedback on the effort they’ve made and what they’ve accom-plished. For example, “You were well prepared; it sure paid off.”

Specific WordsTo encourage students, use words that describerather than judge. “When possible, describe both thework and the process—and their relationship,” saysSusan M. Brookhart, author of How to GiveEffective Feedback to Your Students.“Choose words that communicaterespect for the student and the work.”Here are some examples:

• Your topic sentence is clear andcaptures the reader’s attention.

• It looks like you did the stepsout of order. Why don’t you try theexercise again?

Ongoing ProgressTeacher feedback allows students to understand their progressin learning the required skills. For example, I create a chartusing the rubrics from the state and textbook curricula andrefer to it to provide feedback.

I make sure the students understand the language of therubric and what it looks like in practice. Then

the students and I rate their perform-ance in measureable terms, andthey can make adjustments toimprove their skills. Here are someways we use the specific languageof a writing rubric:Student: I wrote a powerful first

sentence, but I forgot to indent and mythesis could use some work.Teacher: Yes, you caught the attention of the

reader. Good effort. Your claim sentence [the sentencein which you state the point you will prove in your

paper] is missing some importantparts. Use your prewriting chartand research you did and addone more item to your claimsentence. I would like to see youre-write your claim by the endof this hour. We will continue towork at this together.

To involve students in providing feedback for each other, I say:

Now turn to a table partner and exchange your researchclaim sentences. Look at the rubric and check for the threesections we are talking about. Make two suggestions to yourpartner on how his or her sentence can be made clearer. Usewhat I have taught you and your written rubric. Please accom-plish this in 5 to 7 minutes.

Teachers can reinforce or redirect student learning usingfeedback that is positive, specific, and reflects the progressstudents are making. Such feedback helps students knowwhat they’ve accomplished and what their next goals are.

—by Naomi K. Poindexter

Correcting Students • How to Correct a Student Without Hurting TheirFeelings. www.worksheetlibrary.com/teachingtips/correctingstudents.html

• Specific Praise: How It Improves Learningwww.teachingchannel.org/videos/positive-feedback-to-students

• Say No to No. www.teachingchannel.org/videos/building-student-confidence

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Use Body Language

E ffective teachers use body language to communicatewith students, build rapport with them, and makethem feel safe and supported.

“Face the student with arms uncrossed and relaxed,” saysMindy B. (on NEA Today Facebook) “and usually always smiling!Give them eye-to-eye contact, and pay attention to them! Bydoing this, I’m conveying themessage that ‘I care!’”

"The ability of a teacher toestablish positive rapport withstudents is a critical aspect ofthe teacher-learner relation-ship,” explains Ron Benner, aschool psychologist in Bridge-port, Connecticut. “The suc-cessful teacher blends bothverbal and non-verbal commu-nication skills in establishinggood rapport with studentsand this has a direct correla-tion to student achieve-ment.”

Test your understanding of your students and how yourbody language affects them by standing in the doorway of theroom as your students shuffle in. This close contact sets up anaturally occurring single file line that calms them before theyenter the classroom and enables a positive learning environ-ment before they even sit down, according to body languageexpert Chris Caswell.

From the start, command the classroom. Greet the classwith a loud, clear, upbeat voice. If you look frazzled, you seem

vulnerable. Lack of confidence is a red flag to students. Whereand how you stand in the classroom speaks volumes, too.

• Stand up straight. Poor posture—slumped shoulders,stomach sticking out—is not only physically unhealthy, but itcan convey a whole range of attitudes and degrees of interestand respect.

• Folding arms, standing behind a desk, and using barri-ers, “simply sends the signal that you don’t want to makecontact,” says Caswell. It blocks you off and makes you appear

unapproachable. Don’t cross your arms or shuffle papers thataren’t related to the lesson, and refrain from looking at yourwatch when a child is speaking.

• Use the whole classroom. Walk around the students’desks to show interest, and indicate approval with a head nod.Caswell suggests leaning slightly forward and movingmomentarily into their territory in a nonthreatening way. Beaware of your facial expressions (or lack thereof!). They caneasily convey any number of moods and attitudes, as well as

understanding or confusion.• Smile. It conveys happiness and encouragement. Frowns

show sadness or anger. Big, open eyes suggest fear. An ani-mated face draws the listener in.

• Make eye contact. It helps establish rapport and trust,and it shows that you’re engaged and listening to the stu-dents.

Adopt different poses when you want your students torespond in a particular way.

• Your hand on your chin encourages students to thinkabout the answer and shows you’re waiting for their answer.

• Hands out and palms up shows that you’re open toquestions and answering in a nonthreatening way.

• Observe wait time—don’t stare and rush them. Appearrelaxed and ready to listen.

Body language helps you get your message across. Letstudents know that you want to create a supportive, produc-tive learning environment.

—by Teal Ruland

Quick Video Tipsn Fist to Five Feedbackwww.teachingchannel.org/videos/getting-instant-student-feedback?fd=1

n Attention-Getting Signals: One Spot www.teachingchannel.org/videos/student-attention-getting-tip

Engage in AppropriateConversations

What’s on and off-limits to talk about with studentsmight seem obvious, but it isn’t always so blackand white. Sometimes it can be hard to avoid

uncomfortable details about current events or stay away fromthe lurid details of wars throughout history. However, it’simportant to keep the classroom a safe haven for your stu-dents, as well as build and keep their trust and respect, both inand out of the classroom. Here are some points to considerwhen you have conversations and discussions with students.

Politics and PersuasionsDiscussing politics in the classroom requires a careful, light-handed approach. Teachers want to encourage exciting andchallenging discussions, but not push their own agenda onthe students. Remember, you have a captive, impression-able audience. On the other hand, sharing your own viewscan help put topics—like civil rights and the Holocaust—into perspective for students.

Eden Prairie High School teacher and NEA memberSteve Cwodzinski told the Minnesota Star Tribune, “I thinkpart of my job is to make people more accepting andunderstanding of the global world we live in. If that's myjob and that’s what they hired me to do, [then I have tothink] how can I be presenting both sides of the issueon controversial issues?”

Be sure to use a balanced approach by pre-senting both sides to your class.

Personal LifeWith over 800 million users on Facebook and millions ofpeople on Twitter and other social networking sites, it’s morethan likely you are or will be a part of the growing trend. Manyteachers believe they have the absolute First Amendmentright to post anything they want on social networking sites,including party pictures and diatribes about the boss. After all,they’re on their own time and using their own resources.

However, the courts say otherwise. Teacher free speechrights are fairly limited: their speech is protected only if theyspeak out as citizens on “matters of public concern” and theirspeech doesn’t disrupt the school.

Perfect TimingThere’s a time and place for private conversations with stu-dents. Don’t waste valuable class time by engaging in whatshould be private chats. Bring up the issue before the bellrings or after class is over.

Professional GossipYes, you may think your predecessor was an incompetent oldbat, but be wary of letting your students—and other teach-ers—know that. The Denver Post (2009) cited a study that“’found gossip in the workplace tended to be overwhelminglynegative, but the insults were more subtle and the conversa-tions less predictable’, says Tim Hallett, a sociologist at IndianaUniversity.” The study also found that negativity trickles downto the students, affecting their focus and lowering test scores.

And don’t even think about bad-mouthing other teachersor students to your class. You’ll lose their trust and potentiallyyour job.

So, what topics of conversation are appropriate forteacher and students? Topics that take into consideration theages, sensibilities, and sophistication of your students.

—by Teal Ruland

More Advicen Social Networking Nightmares. Teachers’ Private Lives

online. www.nea.org/home/38324.htm

n Tierny: Teachers’ Gossip a Teachable Moment.www.denverpost.com/news/ci_13706576

n Beyond Emily: Post-ing Etiquettewww.edutopia.org/netiquette-guidelines

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TO O L S A N D I D E A S —L E S S O N P L A N S A N DA DV I C E

NEA.ORG ONLINE RESOURCELooking for new ideas? We have lesson plans and activities, classroom management tips,

advice and support, and Works4Me—all at your fingertips.www.nea.org/ToolsandIdeas.html

Avoid Power Struggles

D isruptive and confrontational students are some-times an unavoidable challenge. If handled poorly,these confrontations can lead to power struggles—

and more disruptions.

Engage StudentsInstead of giving in to a power struggle, defusetense situations by engaging students. Provide ahook for each lesson at the beginning to keepthem thinking and interested. Dr.Robert Feller from the University ofWashington believes these hooksprevent potential disruptions andstimulate students’ minds so theyfocus on the upcoming lesson.

Know Your StudentsMake an effort to understand the stu-dent’s background and home life. It willput you in a better position to relate toyour students. “Taking the time tolearn about a child’s background canmake the difference between compas-sion and callousness, says retired teacher Diane Postman ofYorktown, Virginia. “Knowing a child is dealing with family

issues or poverty can lead a teacher to make allowances oradaptations to help a struggling child succeed. This can wardoff some behavioral problems and help the child to save face.”

Show Students How to Deal withConfrontationWhen a disagreement or confrontation arises, show the stu-dent how to deal with it in a dignified manner and maintain

the integrity of your classroom.Frank Iannucci, a math andcomputer science teacher fromWest Orange, New Jersey, saysteachers should immediatelystop the confrontation andarrange a time to discuss itwith the student in a mature,

adult manner, regardless ofthe age of the student,after the period. Make ita teachable moment.Demonstrate thatfights can be stoppedbefore they get out ofhand.

Conversely, beaware that fighting for

the last word in an argument only prolongs it. According toChristopher Perillo, a high school science teacher in Kenosha,

Wisconsin, “Teachers who insist on having the last word arebringing themselves down to a juvenile level. Students willremember this and that teacher’s value will be diminished.”Letting the student get a rise out of you will only create anopening for more chaos.

Finally, if you react to everything, you’ll lose valuableteaching time. If the primary problem is one child’s problem,talk to him or her in private. As long as the student isn’t dis-rupting the class, it’s not worth stopping instruction to addressa situation. Be sure to avoid language that will put the studenton the defensive by using “I statements” to focus on what youdon’t understand about the student’s actions, rather thanassessing blame. React in a way that allows the student toavoid feeling embarrassed in front of his or her peers.

Read the full article— “Avoiding Power Struggles withStudents”—at www.nea.org/tools/49922.htm.

—by Robert McNeely

Related Linksn When Educators Are Assaultedwww.nea.org/home/42238.htm

n Student Refuses to do the work http://public-groups.nea.org/discussion/topic/show/280577

7 Ways to Talkto Your Students

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Use Humor

Uusing humor effectively can help teachers do theirwork—engage students and activate learning. Hereare three ways to use humor in the classroom.

Create a ComfortableLearning EnvironmentWhen teachers share a laugh or a smile with students,they help students feel more comfortable and open tolearning. Using humor brings enthusiasm, positivefeelings, and optimism to the classroom.

Because I know that a good laugheases tension, increases creativity, … Iwill do almost anything to get the classrolling with laughter —voice inflec-tions, exaggerated facial expressionsand movements, hilarious personalstories (of which I have way too many),ridiculous examples…and I encourage my students to do thesame. —Kaywin Cottle, Speech Communications teacher (NEAToday Facebook)

Even if you’re not naturally funny, you still can lighten thingsup a bit. It makes you more approachable.

In Health class, we learned the cerebellum is responsible forbalance and coordination. When I trip over their backpacks, Imight make a joke that my cerebellum is taking a nap. —DeirdreSexton (NEA Today Facebook)

Do what’s comfortable for you. And it will create a morecomfortable environment for your students.

Fire Up Their Brains!During her research on learning and humor, educator-

researcher Mary Kay Morrisonlooked at brain scans that

showed high levels of activ-ity in multiple areas of

the brain when humorwas used in conversa-tion and instruction.

“We’re finding humoractually lights up more

of the brain than manyother functions in a

classroom,” says Morrison, author ofUsing Humor to Maximize

Learning. “In other words, ifyou’re listening just auditorily

in a classroom, one small part of the brainlights up, but humor maximizes learning

and strengthens memories.”Watch an interview with Morrison and

others— “How Humour Affects Learning.”www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaG678AzVs4

See also HealthWatch: Stanford Study Shows How HumorActivates Child’s Brain. http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2012/02/01/healthwatch-stanford-study-shows-how-humor-activates-childs-brain/

Bring Content to LifeTeachers can use humor to bring content to life— throughgames, parody, or comical voices (or wigs or hats). Studentsrespond to their teacher’s playfulness and appreciate the efforthe or she puts into making a lesson fun. Here’s how threeteachers (from NEA discussion boards) use humor to bringcontent to life:

Whenever I can I use puns, anecdotes, or whatever humor-ous things I can think of to make lessons more fun, morerelevant, and more effective. We laugh everyday and it makesbeing in school a little more fun. —Laurie Knox

I teach French and Spanish. I have students practicevocabulary by trying to come up with funny combinations ofwords. Like "helado de pescado" fish ice cream. —Ann Braun

Humor must be used in the classroom. Joke, laugh, dance,sing, shout. I do it all; I think every teacher should. It helps kidsstay focused on the lesson, and sometimes it even helps themremember ideas and motivates them. So stand up on that deskand tap dance while you give instructions, talk in an Englishaccent, or sing the answers to a homework assignment.—Pamela Matway.

Every teacher’s goal is to be effective in the classroom—to help students learn. All teachers want their students to beeager and engaged. Humor has the power to fuel that engage-ment.

—by Robert McNeely

More Fun Ideasn Humor in the Classroomwww.plsweb.com/Products-Resources/Newsletter/Newsletter-Archives/March-2004

n Best Teaching Practices: Humor in the Classroomwww.plattsburgh.edu/offices/centers/cte/humorintheclassroom.php

n Ideas for Bringing Humor into the Classroomwww.naeyc.org/tyc/files/tyc/file/V5N3/TYC%20V5N3%2010X.pdf

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Communicate ThroughTechnology

I t’s never been about the newest technology – a printingpress, a computer, an app – but it has always been aboutthe creative ways in which teachers use technology to meet

learners’ needs. The challenge is in choosing the right tool forthe task.

Giving FeedbackI’ve been avoiding red pens since my first day of teaching.Instead, I’m always searching for the best ways to give studentsthe kind of feedback that makes them want to think about theirwork, not just correct or edit it. Here are some of my favoritediscoveries:

• Individual Podcasts—When I want to start a conversationwith students about their writing, I create individual podcasts.Hearing my excitement or curiosity about their writing moti-vates them to dig into their work. See my video demonstration.www.teachingchannel.org/videos/podcasting-to-personalize-feedback

• Screencasts—To give feedback on student speeches andpresentations, I use screencasts. I create voiceovers—like the“director’s commentary” special feature on DVDs—while watch-ing students’ recorded presentations. I use one of two programsto produce these screencasts:

Screenflow—www.telestream.net/screen-flow/ andJing—www.techsmith.com/jing.html

For some examples, check out my blog 5 Ways to Personalize Student Feedback.www.teachingchannel.org/blog/2012/04/24/5-ways-to-personalize-student-feedback/

Going GoogleWhen it comes to the tool my colleagues and I can’t live

without, it’s Google. Here are a few of my favorite functions thatare easy to start with.

• GoogleDocs—Not only is GoogleDocs a great way to gopaperless in the classroom, it also offers a fantastic commentfeature that allows teachers to respond to one another’s work.And the power of real-time collaboration makes group workmore productive. For example, I had student groups writesoliloquies to put into Twelfth Night, and they were all able towork on a different part of the scene at the same time.

• GoogleSites—These websites offer great organizing tools.For example, these tools have allowed me to create and main-tain the class website. And students can create a site templateto house resources, research, and final products.

See my website, Geek Like Me—Welcome to Room 506! By Sarah Brown Wessling. https://sites.google.com/site/sarahbrownwessling/home

• GoogleForms—Within GoogleDocs I can create a form,which is an online survey that collects responses in a spread-sheet. Whether I use them for formative assessment, reflec-tions, or even organizing assessment data, these forms keep mecommunicating with students (and parents) in effective ways.

• Google Reader and Google Alerts—When I learned to do research, I had togo find the sources, but with GoogleReader and Alerts, I can teach stu-dents how to “order research fordelivery.” Of course, I’m still passion-ate about our libraries, but these toolsare great companions for modernresearch.

As you delve into the technology of 21st Century teaching,do so with curiosity and confidence, knowing that one of thegreatest gifts we can give our students is new ways to learn.

—by Sarah Brown Wessling

Related Linksn Cool Apps for Your Classroom. www.nea.org/tools/51290.htm

n More (and Free) Cool Classroom Apps.www.nea.org/tools/51950.htm

n Find out what’s in Wessling’s Delicious account. www.nea.org/tools/52048.htm#web

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