The Role of Nonverbal Communication to an Educator

After exploring the role of effective communication to an educator, I thought I would consider specifically nonverbal communication.  Verbal and written communication are most times thought about and planned in advance.  My research tells me that the majority of messages are sent in the form of nonverbal communication.  I would like to explore the role of nonverbal communication in the interaction with children and family support members of a child with disabilities and specifically ODD.  I found the information at the following link very interesting:

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/eq6_nonverbal_communication.htm

It has to be recognized when dealing with people with disabilities not all nonverbal communication can be interpreted as described. Even with typical people there has to be some confirmation before assuming these hold true, but I would feel confident to say that with the research on the subject that it is a great place to start. As a teacher these are good things to know so that you can coach family caregivers. I like the suggestion to ask positive question first to get people to open up when you see they are nonverbally closed or in a defensive position. I also think paying attention to signs of holding back like biting a lip and holding hands tight would help a teacher to know that if they are not able to get the person to open up then they should follow up at a later time.  There is more to be said that maybe they cannot share at that moment.

On the positive side it seems good to practice raising eyebrows if it helps others to smile.   

In doing this research I thought additional research maybe be helpful into how to hold a difficult conversation with others. There may be useful tools or techniques to keep in mind when talking to family members about their child with ODD.

Effective Communication

An important skill for an educator is to be an effective communicator. It seems obvious that teachers must be able to communicate to their students the lessons, but also important is the role communication plays in including family members in the academic curriculum. For children with disabilities this can be a major factor in the child's success. To learn tools for being an effective communicator, I recommend the following cite:

http://hrweb.berkeley.edu/guides/managing-hr/interaction/communication/listening

Although not written for the field of education, I see a number of good suggestions. Creating an open communication environment can be done in communication by being available before and after class and recess breaks. Children will often prefer a less rigid structure to ask questions and will find it helpful just to get to know a teacher on a personal level. For the family creating and open environment starts with a letter or meet the teacher night where introductions and contact information is given out.

Another key to a successful communication is having regular meetings with the parents. Generally schools coordinate parent teacher nights, but students with disabilities would benefit with more frequent meetings with supporting family members.

Also of importance is taking time to meet one on one with the student in an open environment. In previous discussions it was suggested that it is important to find out what motivates a child with ODD to use as performance management. This has to be done on a reoccurring basis. Children often change what motivates them. One on One sessions helps a teacher to stay fresh with ideas and reduce the tendency for conflict in the classroom. A teacher might also learn about what the student if finding interesting and what causes them to struggle.

Communication is not all verbal. I would like to explore types of nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication can tell a person a lot about what that person is thinking. This might benefit a teacher of a student with ODD by helping them look for triggers to oppositional tendencies.