LESSON 7

Classroom Communication Strategies

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son 4
Communication plays a fundamental role in our daily lives, most especially in teaching
and learning. This lesson distinguishes numerous verbal and non-verbal classroom
communication strategies that support learner understanding, participation, engagement, and
achievement. The objectives of this lesson are the following:
1. differentiate verbal from non-verbal communication;
2. observe how communication strategies are used in the classroom;
3. determine how communication strategies support the learners' understanding of the
lesson; and
4. discover how communication strategies improve the learners' academic performance.

Content Learning
Communication skill is one of the 21st century competencies that every student needs. It
is essential in exchanging information between people. Communication makes teaching and
learning easier.
Communication may occur between individuals, groups, organizations, and social classes
regardless of their complexities, distance, space, and time (Rosengren 2000). In a classroom
setting where the teacher usually plays the role as conveyor of message or information, his or her
ability to communicate with the learners is very essential in order to engage them in class
discussion.
According to Rocci and de Saussure (2016), verbal communication is arguably the most
pervasive form of communication especially in the huge gamut of communication phenomena
where spoken and written language combines with other modalities such as gestures and
pictures. There are two known forms of verbal communication:
1. Oral Communication - a communication through spoken words done face-to-face, in
video chat, or on a telephone call.
2. Written Communication - a communication through the use of written or printed
documents, emails, fax messages, SMS/text messages, or online messaging/chat.
Non-verbal communication, on the other hand, is the process of communication that does
not use any oral or written words. Communication in this form takes place with the use of
signals, behaviors, expressions, or movements. Hall and Knapp (2013) identify the modalities of
non-verbal communications in the following forms:
1. facial behavior
2. vocal behavior
3. gesture and body movements
4. eye behavior
5. face and body physiognomy (nonverbal cues for trait impressions)
6. proxemics and haptic interaction (the closeness continuum)
Strategies for Effective Communication in the Classroom
What we classify as ‘good’ or ‘effective’ communication depends on the context. When
you are presenting in front of the class, you will use different strategies than when you are
facilitating a group discussion, or speaking to a student one-to-one.

1. Create a safe learning environment with supportive relationships

It has been proven that supportive relationships between students and teachers have a
positive impact on class engagement, participation, and the students’ achievements. It has even
been suggested that these supportive relationships may negate the tendency for low-income
students to have poorer school outcomes (see O’Connor & McCartney, 2007).

This is because, when students feel supported, they are more comfortable expressing their
own thoughts and ideas in class discussions, attempting challenges, and asking when they need
help. Higher levels of engagement and participation then lead to better developed knowledge and
greater achievement.

A supportive learning environment is built using communication: you should get to know
your students well, and show them that they are safe from judgement or humiliation in your
classroom. It is a good idea to learn students’ names early in the year, and use them often. Have
an open-door policy for students to come and talk to you about any issues, and be empathic and
caring when you interact with them at all times: don’t tell them off for not understanding and
don’t ridicule their thoughts and ideas.

2. More teamwork

Teamwork and group discussions contribute to making the classroom a more comfortable
environment. By working in small groups, students are able to share their ideas more easily, and
improve their own communication skills. These activities also give them a good opportunity to
ask you questions and get feedback on their work, leading to effective communication between
you, better understanding of the lesson, and academic benefits.

3. Body language

Communication is not only verbal, but also non-verbal: you should ensure that the signals
you are giving out through your body language are positive, confident, and engaging.

4. Active listening

The ‘listening’ component of communication should not be overlooked – over 60% of all
misunderstandings result from poor listening (Caruso, Colombi, & Tebbit, 2017).

Practicing good listening in the classroom can benefit you in two ways. Firstly, you will
be a model for your students, who will improve their own listening skills, and thus retain lessons
better. Secondly, by using active listening, you can correct misunderstandings and extend
learning, resulting in a better education for your students.
5. Feedback

Feedback is also an important component of communication in the classroom. There have

been many studies focusing on feedback in recent years. It has been shown that positive
feedback (i.e. praise) builds students’ confidence – making them more likely to believe that they
can succeed – and helps to create a supportive environment and increase academic success.

You can also use positive feedback to modify students’ behavior: for example, praising a
student for having their hand up is likely to cause the students around them to stop ‘shouting out’
and copy this behavior, in order to be praised themselves (Howell, Caldarella, Korth, & Young,
2014).

Negative feedback is used more often in the classroom than positive feedback, and many
researchers have argued that this should not be the case. While negative feedback can help
students to improve – for example, by changing their behavior, or trying harder at a task (Conroy
et al., 2014) – it does also contribute to conflictual relationships with students (e.g. Allen et al.,
2013). It has also been suggested that it can cause lower levels of academic success (e.g. Wu et
al., 2010).

6. Sense of humor

The use of humor in the classroom has been found to increase learning, self-motivation,
and positive relationships between students and teachers (see Segrist & Hupp, 2015). It allows
you to establish a rapport with your class, and keep them interested in the lesson.

7. Technical skills

Using up-to-date teaching aids such as computers, videos, and online resources is another
way to keep students engaged and reinforce their understanding. It can also increase the
effectiveness of your communication with students with different learning styles, who may
benefit more from online resources than more old-fashioned ones. Try to work some of these
aids into your lessons on a regular basis.

8. Be clear

Good communication – and good teaching – is about understanding and being

understood. For this reason, you should always be clear and unambiguous, and adapt your words
to your audience. Think about this while writing lesson plans (ensure that you break complex
ideas down into simple, logical parts for your audience to understand), but also while you
interact with the children after presenting the lesson. For example, you may wish to check that
your teaching was clear by asking your students questions, or requesting summaries of the lesson
in their own words.

The importance of effective communication in the classroom should not be

underestimated – it can have an impact on your students’ academic progress, feelings of self-
worth, perceptions of school, and your own career. Using communication strategies like the ones
we have detailed above could allow you to become a more successful teacher who better meets
your students’ needs.

Assessment Task
Directions: Look for a demo lesson videos related to your field of specialization from YouTube
and other online sources. Observe the demo lesson very carefully and list down the verbal and
nonverbal forms of communications used by the demo teacher and students and fill out the
checklist below. Then, answer the processing questions directly and comprehensively.

YouTube Link: __________________________________________

A. Identify the verbal and nonverbal forms of communication used by the demo teacher and
students in the demo lesson video you observed.

Verbal Nonverbal Remarks

Teachers

Students

B. Check (√) the box that corresponds to what you have observed in the demo lesson video.
Write your remarks in the last column.

Communication Strategies for Observed Not Remarks

Teachers Observed
Communications with friendly tone
Thinks before speaking to avoid utterance
of irrelevant words
Speaks clearly and articulately delivers
the message he or she is trying to convey
Speaks with confidence
Demonstrates ability to produce
intelligent and fluent discourse
Demonstrates skills in written
communication
Demonstrates proficiency in oral
communication
Manifests positive attitude towards
students.

Other Comments and Observations:

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Process Questions
Read carefully and answer the following questions based on what you observed in the
demo lesson.
1. How important are the verbal and non-verbal forms of communication to the teachers?

2. What forms of communication do the teachers and the students need to improve on?

Note: The attached Rubrics in Lesson 2 will be used in assessing the above mentioned tasks.

Reflective Essay. Write a reflection on how verbal and non-verbal forms of communication
affect students’ learning. Use the rubric below as your guide in making your reflection.

Rubrics for Reflective Essay

5 – Above 4 – Meets 3– Approaching 1 – Below

Expectations Expectations Expectations Expectations

Reflective Thinking The reflection The reflection The reflection The reflection is
explains the student’s explains the attempts to just an evidence
own thinking and student’s thinking demonstrate thinking of trying.
learning processes, as about his/her own about learning but is
well as implications learning processes. vague and/or unclear
for future learning. about the personal
learning process.

Analysis The reflection is an in- The reflection is an The reflection The reflection
depth analysis of the analysis of the attempts to analyze does not move
learning experience, learning experience the learning beyond a
the value of the and the value of the experience but the description of the
derived learning to derived learning to value of the learning learning
self or others, and the self or others. to the student or experience.
enhancement of the others is vague
student’s appreciation and/or unclear.
for the discipline.
 Making The reflection The reflection The reflection The reflection
Connections articulates multiple articulates attempts to articulate does not
connections between connections between connections between articulate any
this learning this learning this learning connection to
experience and experience and experience and other learning or
content from other content from other content from other experiences.
courses, past learning, courses, past courses, past learning
life experiences and/or learning experiences, or
future goals. experiences, and/or personal goals, but
future goals. the connection is
vague and/or unclear.

Reference:
Pawilen G. T. et.al ( 2017).Field Study I : A Guide For 21st Century Student Teachers. REX Book Store
Manila, Philippines
Online Reference:
https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/communication-skills-for-teachers/

Prepared by:

ROSIPICO F. TUPAZ, EdD/EDWIN D. DALIVA, EdD

Course Facilitator