The Classroom X-Factor: The Power of Body Language and Non-verbal Communication in Teaching

John White, John Gardner

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2013
• ISBN:
  9781136738012
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Éducation
• Subtopic: Méthodes pédagogiques

Why is it that some teachers have a kind of magical charisma and charm which sets them apart from their peers? This book gives us a fresh and exciting answer – They have the classroom X-Factor! White and Gardner's gripping text, The Classroom X Factor, examines the notion of having what the public has come to call the 'X-Factor' from the perspective of the teacher, offering fascinating insights into the use of non verbal communication in the classroom.

Using classroom and curricular examples, this book sets out to show how both trainee and practising teachers can identify their own 'X-Factor' in order to help transform their perspectives and perceptions of themselves during the 'live act' of teaching. The book demonstrates how teachers can transform the way in which they connect with their students, whilst also creating meaningful and potent learning experiences for them. White and Gardner show that by following simple methods borrowed from psychology and cognitive science teachers can develop their own 'X-Factor' and in so doing increase their enjoyment and efficacy as professionals. The techniques described include some of the following:

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• Facial and vocal expression

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• Gesture and body language

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• Eye contact and smiling

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• Teacher attire, colour and the use of space

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• Nonverbal communication and pedagogical approaches

In addition, the book provides a section containing fictional stories that aim to contextualise the findings detailed throughout the text. The inclusion of chapter summaries, questions aimed at identifying the readers' own 'X-Factor', lesson exemplars and a user-friendly self-evaluation framework all work together to make the book a stimulating and easy read where reflective learning and the practical application of classroom techniques are the order of the day.

This comprehensive guide to developing the classroom X-Factor within you will be of value to teaching and learning and is of immense use to both practising and student teachers and to schools seeking to develop models of reflective practice. It will also be of interest to curriculum and assessment agencies, policy makers, academics and others whose roles involve the design, provision, support and evaluation of teachers' efficacy in the classroom.

Part I The X-Factor and You the Teacher

DOI: 10.4324/9780203818701-1

1 General Introduction

DOI: 10.4324/9780203818701-2

Their teacher, Tony Nolan never entered a room. He arrived. Students never needed to scatter rose petals in his path. He always entered with the poise and purposeful march of a leader. Before he even got to his desk, students would be watching him. It wasn't just the erect manner in which he held his head, nor the imposing stance he took at the window, it was those alert eyes, taking in everything and flashing confidently from his calm and relaxed face. His hands were on his hips and ready for business.

‘Hi guys. Welcome to woodwork class for this semester. My name is Tony Nolan, your woodwork teacher. Today is your big day. I know many of you are inexperienced, but I am going to make sure no-one gets knotted up. This is a joint endeavour.’

The puns were largely wasted on the class, but his chirpy, enthusiastic voice, his lively movements and eye contact with all of them caught their attention.

This is an excerpt from one of the stories we use later in this book to illustrate some of its key messages. Everything about Tony Nolan's manner, his eye contact, facial expressions, poise, chirpy voice, hands and lively movements spark interest and intrigue. As Shakespeare would put it: ‘for now sits expectation in the air’ (Henry V, Act 2). So, how does he do it? Tony has the classroom X-Factor. And the good news is, so do you! This book is going to help you develop your own X-Factor.

Of course, we can all think of teachers like Tony Nolan. Think about your own days in school. They took place in the heyday of our lives, when we were young, energetic and filled with dreams. At get-togethers, we talk of funny incidents, football matches, school plays and so on. But inevitably, we also talk about our favourite teachers. If you think for a moment, you can probably recollect a teacher whose lessons you particularly enjoyed. It may not have been your best subject, but this teacher probably managed to capture your attention and spark your enthusiasm. Remember the English teacher who never seemed to have problems getting your attention or captivating your interests. You would look forward to her class, hang on her every word, watch her every move. She didn't have wheelbarrows of props, gimmicks or resources. How did she do it? Of course, we can also remember other teachers who didn't connect with us. Teachers who seemed remote and lacked that ability to walk into a room and spark enthusiasm and interest. How did they do it?

Ask yourself, why did some teachers have a magical connection? An ability to engage and enthuse you. What special qualities did they have? As you think about it, you will probably remember faces, voices, classrooms and so on. When we first did this, we found ourselves in a cul-de-sac. We couldn't specifically pinpoint what piece of magic one teacher had over another. Was it the subject? Was it the activities? Was it their teaching methods? Obviously all of these are interwoven, but the more we thought about it, the more we realised there was something else which set them apart. If we think about it in modern parlance, we could call it the X-Factor. Every teacher has their own magic, be it good or bad, and manage to radiate it in a very potent way. So potent, that it sticks with us for decades later, allowing us to remember them with fondness or disillusionment, excitement or apathy, and ultimately in some way or other as having played a part in landing us where we are now as learners. Indeed, some would say they played a part in the fulfilment of the heady dreams of our youth. So what is this X-Factor?

You may or may not be familiar with the term X-Factor. The term is defined by the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary as ‘a quality that you cannot describe which makes someone very special’. This book seeks to unravel this indescribable quality which can make teachers ‘very special’. Of course, you may be more familiar with the term as it relates to the TV show entitled The X-Factor which has enjoyed remarkable success in the ratings charts. It is a UK musical talent contest which auditions thousands of contestants and ultimately whittles them down through successive performances and public voting to one single individual who has the ‘X-Factor’. This contestant has musical talent but also that X-Factor which judges and the general public believe will catapult them to success in the commercial world of music.

FIGURE 1.1 Singer on The X-Factor TV show.

It is fascinating to watch, as week after week, contestants perform and are either forwarded to the next round or are dismissed as ‘lacking the X-Factor’. Most interestingly, it is not always the best singing ability that guarantees success. There are other factors at play which capture the votes. It is the nebulous nature of these factors which seem to trap and win the hearts and minds of the public voters and judges alike. The manner in which contestants can connect with the audience in this magical way served as the impetus for this book. Just like our favourite teachers, there is something at play in human communication which allows one individual to relate more effectively and deeply than another. The time to consider the classroom X-Factor has arrived!

And just as talent is not the exclusive requirement of the X-Factor entertainer, subject knowledge and teaching ability are not the exclusive requirements of the classroom X-Factor. There is something more – and we are convinced that this something is quite fundamental. Clearly, how we speak, the attractiveness of our voice, our accent have a major bearing, but, in our experience, the really inspiring teacher has much more than subject knowledge; teaching ability and an attractive or clear voice. Their magnetic quality comes in many subtle ways of which we are often unaware: the way we ‘carry ourselves’ in the classroom, our body language, whether we smile or grimace, how we dress, how we gesture and in many other ways. Academically, this collection of X-Factor attributes is known as ‘nonverbal communication’. It is our intention in this book to help you to become aware of these nonverbal communication X-Factors, to recognise their importance in the classroom and to help you develop your own X-Factor!

When we consider the classroom X-Factor then, the key thing to remember is that the X-Factor is about the entirety of our communication. To illustrate this, think of a text message you receive from a friend: ‘Ok … that's fine.’ Now this text could have two meanings. It could mean: ‘everything is okay and I support you in what you're doing’. Or it could mean: ‘you are obviously going to do your own thing so that's fine, I will do mine’. The message can be interpreted emotionally in two ways – either as a text of support or as a text of rebuke. The critical point here is that we quickly imagine the tone of the text and most likely imagine the facial expression of the sender. Is it happy, sad, angry, etc.? Of course, hopefully, we then make the correct interpretation.

FIGURE 1.2 Support or rebuke?

The same thing happens the world over in the classroom. Teachers say ‘very good’ which can be interpreted by the student as ‘wow, I have done really well!’ or ‘It looks like I have done nothing wrong!’ Teacher use of nonverbal components such as vocal intonation, facial expressions, gestures and body language can infuse the message with either clear praise or passing and flippant acknowledgement. The most important point here is that while the teacher may think they have praised very effectively, using the ‘correct words’, the pupil will have read the ‘real message’ nonverbally and made the correct inferences.

This example is just one of the many millions of situations where teachers and students interact and exchange vital information nonverbally. The classroom is probably one of the few humanly constructed contexts where one adult aims to communicate with a large number of students for extended periods of time and in ways which continuously engage all of them. No small challenge! Add to this the hustle and bustle of classroom life, the varying needs of a class of students, the demands of modern curricula and society, and the famous words of a New York teacher almost become true:

The teacher like the doctor in the midst of an epidemic is so busy with the daily doings that she finds it hard to get some distance between herself and her functions, to see what is happening. As a result, she is vulnerable to each day's experience in a special transient way.

(Brophy and Good, 1984, 22)

While this quote may seem a little exaggerated, it does bear some truth in relation to the stress and demands on teachers. Cohen et al. (2004, 4) describe schools in the UK as being in a state of ‘permanent flux’ with teachers needing to be able to cope with innovations, pressures to raise standards, the need to energise learning and the necessity to meet the diverse needs of learners. In 2001, a survey in the UK by Smithers and Robinson uncovered ‘sad statistics’ which represented a disillusioned workforce who had come into teaching with high hopes, commitment and ideals, who had made a positive and deliberate choice to teach and were now disillusioned by the world of education. This research also uncovered the startling statistic that 18 per cent of those who started teaching left within three years. This raises the very important question – why?

Smithers and Robinson's (2001) work identified a range of factors associated with this disillusionment, but, in particular, the issue of pupil behaviour and coping with government initiatives emerged frequently. Once again, one is reminded of our New York teacher in the midst of an epidemic (or perhaps it should be academic!). Could it be that teachers are not coping as effectively as they used to? Dealing with new initiatives and managing pupil behaviour to name but a few, demand much from the individual. For teachers to respond to such necessities they must be self-efficient. Like well-toned athletes, they must be ready and equipped for the ‘classroom event’. They must be able to roll with the jolts of change, tango with the petulance and energy of youth and tap their own creativity in order to deliver lessons that inspire and enthuse. Akin to some of the great soccer players we see on our televisions or the magnificent singers we see and hear on The X-Factor, they must be fit and aware of themselves as key players in the tango of classroom communication. Such match fitness means being aware of the rapid and nuanced ways in which they give messages. It also means being aware of the most effective ways of capitalising on one's abilities to communicate nonverbally. In short, like the comment in the film Austin Powers, International Man of Mystery, it means finding and utilising one's mojo – knowing your X-Factor.

As mentioned earlier, it is surprising that given the potency of nonverbal communication and its value to our daily forms of communication, it is given scant attention by the education world. Like the lost cousin of the educational family, it is acknowledged but rarely asked to come for dinner. Why is this? The literature on the topic identifies a number of reasons which include the cumbersome and costly nature of undertaking research on nonverbal communication (e.g. videotaping, etc.), the fact that it is still envisaged as what Edwards et al. (1998, 7) call a ‘newcomer to the educational field’ and finally its reliance on other disciplines (e.g. neuroscience, psychology).

Perhaps some of the reasons for its lowly status also lie in its very nature. As nonverbal communication is unique to each individual and as it is often picked up within seconds with no ‘text’ record and usually no video record, we have little tangible record of its use. Its impact may be clear and sometimes individuals will remember ‘the way he glared at me’, or ‘wagged his finger’, but because it is often spontaneous, subtle and fleeting, it leaves little tangible evidence. There is no paper trail. For example, when questioning a pupil, teachers watch the eyes closely, if the pupil looks down or away, it may be an indication they are either recollecting or are uncomfortable with giving an answer. Whatever the case, it usually is a signal to the teacher that the pupil is not ready to give an answer and prompts the teacher to move on. The point here is that we are finely attuned to reading nonverbal communication and do so on a continuous basis. Yet as teachers we give little deliberate attention t...