Body Language is communication through gestures or attitudes. (Webster’s Dictionary, 1997)Why is it important for teachers to know and use? Most people remember more of what they see than what they hear. We retain vivid images of facial expressions and body behavior. Body language usually dose not lie. We can build trust with our students by showing them that our actions will be in sync with our words. Alert teachers watch their students’ movements, actions, and emotions and use what they see to adjust their teaching methods to be effective with their lessons.
By being alert to student behaviors, teachers can more easily predict and deter inappropriate behavior before it becomes a problem. Teachers need to be able to control their own body language so they can be in charge of the message they want to portray to the students. They can send out positive body language messages to promote positive interaction between her/himself and the students and between students and other students. Modeling positive body language is important because body language can be very contagious. Issues that contribute to one’s use of body language:culture physical size gender mood past experiences age position
