Student Asking: What type of eye contact do you see with your students? And which type do you prefer?
[removed]
Posted Jan 6, 2018, 8:00 AM UTC
412
I'd rather a student looked at me when I'm talking and at the other students when they're asking questions or replying. That way, I know they're interested. A student who is often looking around the room, at their phone or at their computer screen comes off as disinterested, and I'd much rather teach people who are interested in my subject matter.
9
I recognize that my students are very varied in their psyches and confidence and social skills. Ideally, it would be great if students could meet my gaze and speak with confidence. Some students do this.
But I also have students that are very shy and reticent to speak up. I have ones who speak while looking down. I have students who gaze off to one side. That's all fine, as my goal is to encourage participation and enhance understanding of the material. I myself had a tendency to stare at a person's upper lip when I spoke so it almost looked like I was meeting their gaze.
I also know many students don't want to speak in front of their peers. For these students, making eye contact is important, as they can often communicate nonverbally how well they understand or if they need additional explanation.
Students engage in a lot of different ways. So long as they do engage, I am happy. Finding ways instill confidence and encourage students is a big part of my classroom management.
8
This so something I have literally never considered.
3
Whether or not it's true, I tend to assume that students who make eye contact are some combination of engaged, smart, professional, personable, ambitious. Not to mention, I'm more likely to engage with students who make eye contact. Assuming I'm not the only prof (or person in general) like this, making eye contact probably has some benefits in terms of networking, opportunities, etc.
If you're asking about during lecture, I assume that people who make steady eye contact are engaged with me, and I find it helpful to stay engaged myself.
3
[deleted]
2
Communicating effectively in a professional academic/industrial lab environment is crucial to student success. The way I assess whether they can do that or not is based solely on my criteria because I'm the only one there with whom they must communicate at the time. If/when they move on to a university or industrial lab they'll have to communicate more rapidly, more effectively, and more directly to people that will invariably lack my benevolence, patience, humility, or sense of humour -- not to mention my stunning good looks -- so the more practice they get, the better.
They can go take a humanities class and express their individuality or they can go take yoga or whatever. I care about data and I care about them getting it to me yesterday. Not in their special way, but in my way because it's my data, my time, my lab.
If they're looking out the window or if they for whatever reason cannot effectively give me my data right there, right then (as a compromise and an indication of my benevolence, since I really wanted it yesterday -- everything is due yesterday) they're not going to make it in academia or industry.
3
Thank you for this response.
I do hate the assumption that if we don't look at the professor with out eyes, it means we lack professionalism. I make eye contact at the work place, but the university grounds is not the same position, so I do react differently.
1
Personally I'd be happy if I never had to make eye contact with anyone, ever. But over the years I've gotten used to it and would probably not notice anything odd as long as you weren't staring bug-eyed while sharpening a knife or something.
1
Please read the sidebar.
1
If my students are looking at me, that's cool.
If they are looking at their book, that's cool.
If that are looking at their notes, that's cool.
If they are looking at a phone, I make a mental note of it and will not be kind when it comes to grading.
[deleted]
Of course they don't have to look at me, but they do have to take an active role in the class.
It's certainly not unethical to penalize those who don't. My classes require participation --- asking questions, answering questions, etc. You can't do those things if you're snap chatting, what's apping, or twating.
There's always a bit of subjectivity when it comes to grading, and anyone who says otherwise is lying (or grading basic math). So, suppose I have a border case and think back on the student's performance in class. He asked questions when he didn't understand (which is good because maybe other students didn't understand either), he answered when called upon, he talked to me after class, blah blah bah. Well, that student participated and improved the class, so he gets the benefit of the doubt and that B+ can, in certain circumstances, become an A-. But, if I think back on a student who didn't ask questions, couldn't answer my questions the first time because she was tindering and I had to repeat myself, blah bah blah. Well, she didn't improve the class --- she made it worse. So, no benefit of the doubt for her. The B- stays a B-.
[removed]
Soft skills are a learning objective and I grade their communication effectiveness.
I do this based solely on my subjective and often arbitrary criteria.
[deleted]
Where did you get that he said he grades them based on whether they're looking at him?
Are you reading invisible words I'm missing?