Teacher Look Experiment
Mastering the Art of the Teacher Look: Creating a Balanced Classroom Environment Through Nonverbal Communication
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To have a productive classroom, an educator must set the tone from day one. This begins with the way we present ourselves to students. Some of us call it “the teacher look.” During my student teaching experience, my mentor told me that a teacher should not smile during the first two weeks of school. However, as a teacher, I have learned that while we must be firm with our students, we must also remain comforting in order to create an environment where students can become lifelong learners. Conducting the teacher look experiment was exciting, especially seeing the reactions of family, friends, and students. Apparently, my look was not rude at all—just firm yet still comforting.
Things at work have been very different lately, with an array of students coming in for tutoring, each with different personalities and attitudes. Because I teach in the evening, many of my students do not want to be there; they are tired of school, which is completely understandable. However, they still need to learn, and the work still needs to be completed. In these situations, I always make sure I am both firm and comforting. One evening, I had a new girl at my table. I smiled at her because she said she was nervous. However, behind me, one student was tapping her fingers on the table. I turned around, gazed at her firmly, and she immediately looked at me, mouthed “okay,” and stopped. That was it. I was shocked that simply gazing at her without smiling worked so effectively. This shows that making eye contact with students can help them stay on task and focused throughout the lesson. Tucker states, “Make eye contact with the student. It says, ‘I see you; stop it’” (p. 63). Since the student already knew the routine, I did not need to address it verbally, which would have disrupted the other students.
Sometimes the teacher look can also be used outside the classroom. Recently, my family and extended family went out for dinner. As we were talking, the kids began running and playing around the restaurant. We had already discussed with them the behaviors we expected. Nonetheless, my oldest daughter ran around the table. As soon as she ran behind my shoulder, I turned around and looked at her firmly, and she stopped immediately. She then told the other girls to play in a corner of the restaurant where there were no tables or chairs. Alber writes, “This facial expression serves as a nonverbal signal to a child that you see that they are off task and talking or doing something they shouldn’t be doing…” (Alber, 2016). Looking at her once was enough. I was proud of both her and myself because I had used my nonverbal skills effectively.
There were times, however, when my teacher look was not successful. As an educator, I know that not everything works as planned. One example was at the library during a preschool class. The librarian led the class, the children sat in the middle, and the parents sat along the sides. The rules were stated at the beginning for the children to follow. My daughter sat on the floor but kept getting up to get snacks. I told her twice, verbally, to sit down and listen. Then I gave her a firm gaze with a small smile, yet she continued getting up. I looked at her again, this time adding hand gestures along with the firm look. That finally worked. This made me realize that the teacher look does not work for every student, and sometimes total physical response (TPR) is necessary.
It may be hard to believe that the teacher look sets the tone for a classroom, but it truly does. An educator must let students know who is in charge while still making them feel comfortable. As educators, we cannot always have an angry or serious expression; students would feel scared. Tucker makes a valid point: “If you are aggressive and mean, students will rebel and try to ‘get you’” (p. 61). It is essential to find a balance—not too firm, but not too lenient. It is like finding the perfect mattress: not too firm, not too soft, but just right so the back does not hurt. Tucker also states, “If you are passive and too easy, you are shirking your responsibilities to maintain a fair and equitable classroom” (p. 61). We want our students to feel safe, not threatened, so they feel comfortable participating in class. As educators, we must ensure that students understand that the teacher look is meant to help them stay focused and become lifelong learners.
References
Alber, R. (2016, September 01). New Teachers: How to Develop ‘The Look’. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/new-teachers-how-develop-look-rebecca-alber
Tucker, G. (2002). Ginger Tucker’s First Year Teacher: Participant Notebook. Amarillo, TX: GKT Publishing.
