California Educator

October/November 2019

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4. F o u rt h l i st e n : Word usage and presentation. a. Are your words efficient, clear, concise and meaningful? Are you using appropriate vocabulary to be understood, but perhaps also challenging students with some new words through context and example? b. Are you using inflection and tonality to emphasize your point? c. Do you pause for key information to process, to help students digest the information? d. Was there a clear hook to pull students into the next segment of the lesson? Steps for improving after reflection: 1. To o l o u d ? Excessive force of voice can fatigue your vocal cords and vocal stability. You may be damaging your voice or making it hard for an audience to listen comfortably. Consider bringing your volume down; students will pay more attention in order to hear instructions and directions. Or walk around the room to speak, so students must track you with their eyes and ears, and you don't need to project to the scope of the entire room. Remember that where you stand might be great for some students in the room, but detrimental to students who are too close or far away. Too soft? Do you struggle to make out your words and syl- lables? Imagine what students who sit far away from you might be experiencing. Consider rear- ranging the room similar to an auditorium, to be heard from the center of the room. 2. T h i n k a b o u t yo u r m ot i vat i o n . Would you be interested in listen- ing to a speaker present as you just did? If you answered no, don't worry, this is just practice, and you can read my book for steps to build confidence and effective qualities to present in a more engaging manner. You can re-re- cord with more enthusiasm when you feel comfortable. Remember, your ability to encode excitement or purpose into your presentation will capti- vate students and improve their commitment to learning. 3. S p e a k i n g yo u r l e a r n i n g o bj e ct i v e is essential. Write it, refer to it, and state your goals explicitly if you want students to identify and achieve them. 4. I n f l e ct i o n is necessary to pull students in and retrieve students who daydream. Use humor, props, tangible items or kines- thetic cues to get them more involved as listeners. 5. Pau s i n g allows students to listen, think through any prompted cog- nitive process, and then continue to listen. If you proceed like a train on a track, students may get caught thinking and miss the next sentence. Think of this as if you were a student learning a second language — sometimes you need to stop and consider the meaning of words, then understand them, before being ready to proceed. 6. F o rwa r d s e l l i n g is a term in broadcasting that advertises what's coming later in the show. Forward sell to hook in your audience. Then, backsell the important vocabulary and mile- stones of the lesson to reinforce what has been accomplished so far. This also builds a sense of accomplishment as you progress through the lesson. As a side note, any humor or jokes from early in the lesson can be used as call- backs to maintain throughlines of enjoyment for the class. Bottom line: Repeat this test occasionally to check your progress as a dynamic speaker. Excerpted from A Broadcaster's Secrets to Teaching by Danny Hauger (available on Amazon). Hauger, a mem- ber of Liberty Education Association, worked in sports broadcasting before transitioning to the classroom. He also hosts the weekly podcast "Inspiring Teachers" (on iTunes and YouTube) with Tavis Beem, a member of Mt. Diablo Education Association. More informa- tion at DannyHauger.com. "Too loud? Consider bringing your volume down; students will pay more attention in order to hear instructions and directions." Educators Danny Hauger and Tavis Beem host the weekly podcast "Inspiring Teachers." 47 O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 019

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