How can we improve our

communication?
Listening
 Attending: Open stance, relaxed, facing speaker
 Cultural etiquette: Not looking directly into eyes
 Responding: Let speaker know they have been heard and understood
 Clarifying: Give feedback, clarify, paraphrase, reflect

Speaking
 Non verbal
o body language
o facial expressions
 Verbal
o Practise communication skills
 explain clearly, use simulations, pictures, diagrams etc.
o Show respect and acceptance, build positive relationships and avoid "road
blocks"
 Blaming
 Judging
 Criticising
 Preaching
 Ordering
 Labelling
 Threatening
 Being sarcastic
 Patronizing
 Contradicting interactions
o Be assertive not aggressive.
o Consider tone

Questioning is a high level skill.

Build confidence with low -> high order questions
 What is a Low Order
Question?

Types of Questions
1. Convergent (Closed)/Low order
 Confirm understanding
 Start off with yes/no questions -> longer
 Revert for quieter or lower level students
 1 or 2 word answers How can we use our knowledge of
 Early in the lesson different types of questions to
facilitate student learning?

2. Divergent (Open)/High order

 Develop thoughts, interest and challenge
 Use early (stimulate interest and challenge) or later in lesson (building up)
 Encourages conversation

3. Evaluative What sequence of

 Encourages consideration of advantages and disadvantages questions best
 Facilitates further concept development enhances student
learning?
Asking Questions
 Ensure you have students' attention before going onto the lesson
 Ask one question at a time
 Pause to give thinking time
 A safe environment is essential
 Add/confirm information
 Be encouraging
 If question is too difficult and met with silence, simplify the question, ask a lower level
question.

Helping Unsure Responses

Prompt
 Repeat
 Rephrase
 Add information
 Predict answer
 Redirect (to another student, but go back to first student with question they can answer)
 Simplify
Think-pair-share
 When asking for answers, get students to write down their thoughts first.
 Can be used from kindy kids to tertiary students
 Have question/concept, everyone think about this by yourselves individually and write down
a few points.
 Teacher can go around to check.
  Tell your partner (or person next to you) about what you have.
 Tell the whole class
 Just saying it to one person can build up confidence and foster safe environment.

Questions to avoid!
 "Do you think I'm stupid?"
 "Do I have to wait all day?"
 "Are you prepared to join us now?"
 "Maybe you think you can do this better?"
 "Is this boring you?"
 "Would you keep the noise down?"

Conflict management skills

Interpersonal skills
I-Messages
1. How it affects you and how you are feeling (worried about it, or worried they're not going to
learn or make good decisions)
2. Make a suggestion

"Don't run on concrete!"

"You shouldn't be running on the concrete!"

 "I'm worried when you run on the concrete, because you might slip and hurt yourself. Please
walk on the concrete"

Positive phrasing:
When to tell students something but do it quickly?

"Get to work!"

 "Your pens aren't working very hard, get them working"

 "What do you think is really important. Write down all your ideas."