Phil Harrison Coaching

When I was in graduate school, one of my cohort mates was a man originally from Jamaica. Our cohort classes were a bit rambunctious, and he often sat without contributing to the discussion. Finally our professor asked about his willingness to participate. The man explained that in his country, if a student wished to speak, the student would raise an index finger and wait for the teacher to acknowledge him or her. I joked that perhaps he should raise a different finger amongst our rowdy bunch if he wanted to be acknowledged!

All joking aside, It’s important for teachers to create opportunities for nonverbal engagement in classroom settings. It’s also important for teachers to have a variety of tools for cultivating the nonverbal response in classrooms. In the book Creating An Actively Engaged Classroom, authors Todd Whitney, Justin Cooper, and Terrance Scott provide information about several nonverbal engagement strategies. Some they mentioned are as follows (pp. 37-92):

1. Stop and jot. This strategy is exactly what it sounds like. Periodically, the teacher will stop presenting and ask students to jot down some thoughts, questions, or concerns regarding the content being covered. Such a strategy breaks up longer lectures and allows students to express themselves in writing. The written responses can be collected by the teacher and reviewed, or they can be reviewed by peers in some manner.
2. Guided notes. Perhaps one of the most often used approaches to nonverbal engagement is a guided notes page. Those fill-in-the-blank moments allow students to follow along with the content and provide their own responses to the content being shared. Guided notes take some extra planning and preparation on the part of the teacher, but they will help keep students focused. 
3. Response cards. Color-coded cards, yes/no cards, numbered cards, lettered cards, and the like are all able to engage students in their learning. They are easily manipulated by students, and they are highly visible to teachers. 
4. Hand signals. Just like my Jamaican friend, students can be taught a variety of hand signals that let teachers know how the student is tracking with the content. The hand signals allow every student to engage and be seen by the teacher. I’ve seen hand signals that are very detailed (hand straight up means yes, arm bent at 90 degrees means maybe, hand an arm close to the shoulder means no, and so on) used in elementary settings. Students really embrace them. 

As you prepare for the next week, think of ways you might incorporate nonverbal engagement strategies into your classroom. You and your students will be glad you did!