Monday, 10/28
Today was about considering the impact of body language. I think this was my favorite lesson, which is probably a little mean, but it is what it is.
They had to practice their body language and learn about its impact in an interview or conversational setting. There were four rounds. There were two roles per round for the first two rounds. There were a listener and a speaker. The speaker was told to behave normally, while the listener was told to sit and act how we usually discourage listeners to behave. I told them to not make eye contact, to not make noises of affirmation (like uh-uhs) or nod or smile. They were encouraged to cross their arms and slouch in their seats.
One of my favorites was John H taking Snapchat photos of himself while his partner awkwardly tried continuing to answer the questions I had given them.
These questions were all about their projects, so it helped tie in the moment of speaking your project out loud and developing your thoughts in that manner. It was a really interesting thing to watch. The rounds lasted 3-4 minutes. Slowly, after the second minute, the speakers' eyes slowly traveled from their (pretending to be) uninterested partner and to me. They looked uncomfortable, which was the point of the exercise.
Afterward, we debriefed and discussed how it felt to be the speaker. They all agreed that it felt awkward and like they weren't being heard. The listeners did mention that it felt unnatural and rude, so I don't think anyone had the tendency to behave the way I had them do for the activity, but I think it really helped drive home the way our behaviors and body language can change the atmosphere of an interview.
Wednesday, 10/30
Today was really fun. So that they could practice their interview skills, I had them interview me about my glass box of keys that I have collected over the years. It was so much fun to watch them gaze at my key collection with befuddlement. I think it really helped them realize that there is, 1) more to my life than being their instructor, and 2) that there is going to be more to their interviewee than the questions that they bring to the interview.
I think I felt like I could use a different "authentic voice" today, one that is a little different from the professorial one that I have been trying to adopt this semester. Today, it felt more like a mix of both the professional me who is in charge and the casual me. I was really able to just sort've enjoy my students' company, and it was a class that was filled with a lot of laughter. I loved the atmosphere; it felt extremely open. I've begun to notice that the atmosphere does relax when I incorporate humor or show my more casual side in the classroom. It seems to create a more viable human connection, allowing us - me as the instructor and my students - to have more genuine dialogue and experience together. It makes me wonder how else I can implement other tactics to create this openness, where my students are able to use and experiment with their own voices as I model that experimentation by using a mixture of voices in one setting.
I was a little sad that no one wore a Halloween costume. :(
Friday, 11/1
No journal.
Today was about considering the impact of body language. I think this was my favorite lesson, which is probably a little mean, but it is what it is.
They had to practice their body language and learn about its impact in an interview or conversational setting. There were four rounds. There were two roles per round for the first two rounds. There were a listener and a speaker. The speaker was told to behave normally, while the listener was told to sit and act how we usually discourage listeners to behave. I told them to not make eye contact, to not make noises of affirmation (like uh-uhs) or nod or smile. They were encouraged to cross their arms and slouch in their seats.
One of my favorites was John H taking Snapchat photos of himself while his partner awkwardly tried continuing to answer the questions I had given them.
These questions were all about their projects, so it helped tie in the moment of speaking your project out loud and developing your thoughts in that manner. It was a really interesting thing to watch. The rounds lasted 3-4 minutes. Slowly, after the second minute, the speakers' eyes slowly traveled from their (pretending to be) uninterested partner and to me. They looked uncomfortable, which was the point of the exercise.
Afterward, we debriefed and discussed how it felt to be the speaker. They all agreed that it felt awkward and like they weren't being heard. The listeners did mention that it felt unnatural and rude, so I don't think anyone had the tendency to behave the way I had them do for the activity, but I think it really helped drive home the way our behaviors and body language can change the atmosphere of an interview.
Wednesday, 10/30
Today was really fun. So that they could practice their interview skills, I had them interview me about my glass box of keys that I have collected over the years. It was so much fun to watch them gaze at my key collection with befuddlement. I think it really helped them realize that there is, 1) more to my life than being their instructor, and 2) that there is going to be more to their interviewee than the questions that they bring to the interview.
I think I felt like I could use a different "authentic voice" today, one that is a little different from the professorial one that I have been trying to adopt this semester. Today, it felt more like a mix of both the professional me who is in charge and the casual me. I was really able to just sort've enjoy my students' company, and it was a class that was filled with a lot of laughter. I loved the atmosphere; it felt extremely open. I've begun to notice that the atmosphere does relax when I incorporate humor or show my more casual side in the classroom. It seems to create a more viable human connection, allowing us - me as the instructor and my students - to have more genuine dialogue and experience together. It makes me wonder how else I can implement other tactics to create this openness, where my students are able to use and experiment with their own voices as I model that experimentation by using a mixture of voices in one setting.
I was a little sad that no one wore a Halloween costume. :(
Friday, 11/1
No journal.
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