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Lately, I’ve been wondering about what makes a teacher more charismatic? What makes a teacher be the person that kids will listen to each and every day? Of course, it’s the relationships that matter. It’s also important to pay attention to how you are as a public speaker and writer.
As a public speaking teacher, I can’t help but pay attention to how people use their words and their bodies. As someone who used to coach teachers, I was gifted with the time to observe a lot of teachers. Some were mesmerizing, and I wanted to be a student in their classroom. What made them this way? I decided to start a series that will focus on the skills of a strong public speaker and how it relates to teaching. Of course, most of these skills will work for anyone that is employed, but today is geared more for teachers. Here are three phrases to use in your classroom because words matter in public speaking!
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Phrase #1: “Family Time”
One of my goals as a teacher was to create the culture of a family in my classroom. Every time my 8th graders came to the floor, I called it “family time.” I used this term instead of “a lesson” or “a meeting.” When I met with my advisory students, I would place the chairs in a circle and called it a “family meeting.” It creates a different feeling than just “circle time.”
It reminds me of how my parents would always instill the phrase, “Your sisters are your very best friends.” We heard that countless times growing up. We heard it so many times, that I never even questioned whether it was true or not. I took this idea to instill a family feeling into my classroom. I had to present it like it was a gift to them. Make them feel like it was something to look forward to. It got to the point where students would come in and ask if we could have family time. My heart smiled every time I was asked that question. Of course, there were times that they also treated each other like siblings. Sigh!
If you are having a meeting with adults, think of a phrase you could use instead of just “meeting.” This applies to a staff meeting, department meeting, or grade-level meeting. Perhaps you could say you are having “Community Time” or “Connecting Time.” The figurative feeling of “community” is very different than just “meeting.” What phrase do you use to gather your students?
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Phrase #2: What Questions Do You Have For Me?
How many of you will end your lesson or instructions and say, “Does anyone have any questions?” You’re met with silence and blank stares. That phrase doesn’t really say what you want to know as a teacher. You are only asking them a yes/no question.
From now on, try saying, “What questions do you have for me?” That phrase is a game changer! The students will start asking more thought-provoking questions. It will help you to see if they truly understood the directions. Of course, don’t forget to have that famous “wait time” after asking it. Try it tomorrow!
Phrase #3: I’m So Excited For…
Do you have a friend that can get you excited to do anything, just from their enthusiasm alone? My husband has a way of doing this. He can make the phrase, “Let’s go climb that mountain,” sound like it is going to be the best thing I have ever done. I know I am going to die, but his enthusiastic tone and words convince me otherwise.
Dave Burgess, in his book Teach Like a Pirate, talks about engaging your students. At a conference, I remember when he talked about getting kids amped up for his next lesson. He did this by stopping them in the hallways and telling them how excited he was for the lesson tomorrow. I started trying this, and it worked! I had to “sell” my upcoming lessons to these kids, but it was totally worth it. Here are some examples:
- I’m so excited for our lesson tomorrow. I can’t wait!
- The next unit that we start tomorrow is one of my favorites!
- Just wait until tomorrow! You aren’t going to believe what we are doing!
Sometimes, I would say, “After the lesson tomorrow, I’ll tell you about one of my embarrassing moments.” Or I would say, “Did I ever tell you about the time I…? Remind me to tell you tomorrow after the lesson.” The students would remind me to tell them as they walked in the door the next day.
Now, I taught teenagers. If we were doing “Family Time” on the floor, and I was reading a poem to them, I might start with, “This poem is so wacko-jacko. I mean, it’s crazy! I can’t wait to share it with you.” If it was a short story, I might start with, “I was hesitant to share this short story with you. Oh gosh, you’re old enough now. You can handle it.” Well, of course they wanted to hear it now!
I recently saw a video where a school library put out books with the sign, “Books Teachers Absolutely Don’t Recommend.” Each book had a different teacher’s name on it. Genius! It even made me want to read the books.
What phrases do you use to get your students excited about a lesson?
Wrapping It Up:
You don’t have to be an actor or comedian to be more charismatic to kids. It’s just these little tweaks that can get kids excited for your class. Think about the phrases you use frequently. Do they make you seem more engaging? Does your tone exude enthusiasm?
What phrases or words do you use to engage your students?
Stayed tuned for Part 2 of “Tips To Change The Words You Use In Your Classroom.” You won’t believe what I’m going to share with you! (wink, wink)
If you are looking for ideas on how to add creativity to your lesson, check out my blog post, “4 strategies of how to add CREATIVITY to your lessons.”
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