The article printed from the DailyOM called “Feeling Our Words” is extremely beneficial to all, but especially for teachers. It is about how words have either the potential to heal or to hurt. I’m sure at times we forget to think about how what we say can affect others. I really enjoyed reading this article because I teach my students to always speak politely with their classmates and to never call someone an unkind name. In this particular article it brought out how we all can remember a time when someone gave us a compliment or even when a friend or sibling called us a name, but either way it stuck with us. This goes to show us that words have weight and can affect us whether they are positive words or negative words.
Therefore, how much more important is it for us teachers to be aware of how we use our words with our students. When I am student teaching, I try to pay extra attention to how my words affect my ELL students. For instance, in the classroom I have a student from China. I notice when I speak to her sensitively, respectfully, and encouragingly it emits positive feelings, which in turn effects me in a positive way making me a more confident teacher. On the other hand, I also make sure that my words never humiliate, offend or downgrade any one of my ELL students because I would never want to give feelings of emotional pain to them. Thus, as teachers I suggest that we always strive to use words toward our ELL students that up build their self-esteem and that promote productive feelings. Consequently, this will allow them to achieve higher levels of language skills in English, as well as, encouraging them to continue to speak their natural born language.
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This article is important for everyone. We all say things out of anger and wish we could take back. My grandfather always said "It's not only what you say, but how you say it." I feel how you say something can also affect a person. As teachers we are responsible for children everyday of our career, and there will be times that a student gets on your last nerve. If we just take an extra minute to think before we say something that could make all the difference. Like stated in the article and also by Athena, we can all think back and remember a time when we were given a compliment or a time when someone said something that hurt us. It is not necessarily true that actions speak louder than words. Sometimes we are hurt more by what someone said to us or about us, either to our face or behind our back, than an action that they made.
I absolutely agree with Athena, the importance of the verbal exchange in the classroom is so important for a teacher to be aware of and monitor. Words are extremely powerful, especially to kids. Words can either put someone down or by the same token have the power to inspire and motivate. Teachers need to never underestimate the power of the spoken word and should always encourage a positive exchange between classmates; especially when dealing with the sensitive ELL students who more than anyone can feel shunned away by the slightest comment and can always use a little positive motivation.
After reading this article printed from the Daily OM called “Feeling Our Words” I decided to take the challenge. The article stated “For the next few days, you might want to practice noticing how the words you say and hear affect your body and your emotional state. Notice how the different communication styles of the people in your life make you feel. Also watch closely to see how your own words come out and what affect they have on the people around you."
I took the time and listened to the words being said around me. Some of the things said to me made me feel happy and secure such as “I will be there for you.” When I call one of my closest friends and hear their voice mail service saying “Please leave your message for _______________ Record your message after the tone…” Caused me to feel sad and unwanted. From this I realized that the words that are spoken does effect my daily emotional state. Which means the words that I say to my students will effect their emotional state.
Mostly everyone I come in contact with has different communication styles. This made me realize that in the classroom each one of my students has a different communication style some of my students are loud spoken where as other students keep to themselves. As a teacher my challenge is to incorporate all different communication styles into my lesson plans and activities. The way I spoke to the students can either have a positive effect or negative effect. When I spoke using a strong voice my students listened carefully and gave me their full attention. However, when I used my friendly voice my students started to wander off into their own world. Instead of paying attention to the lesson that is being taught.
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I feel that at an early age we realize that our words have weight. This is because at an early age you can tell the difference between a compliment and an offensive statement. If someone compliments you, you would smile of laugh. Though if someone says an offensive statement you get hurt or cry. As we grow up we can better control what we are saying. This is when we choose to be complimentary or offensive. I often do not understand how people choose to be offensive when they can be complimentary. There is no need to be hurtful to others on purpose. If it happened be accident people should apologize to show they did not mean it in a harsh way.
This article is important for anyone that is planning to become a teacher. What we as teachers say and the manor in which it is said means everything to a student. I remember just this past spring during my Junior field experience the students enjoyed having me there because I verbalized what needed to be done in a more calming tone than the cooperating teacher. Most teachers just concentrate on what they are saying (which is a huge factor), but not necessarily the presentation of words. If you are a sarcastic teacher not all students will get your sarcasm. An example of this was in our class when Ms. Tomich handed out the quizzes and said lets see how dumb you are. Most students would take offense to this because no one wants to be called dumb before even given the chance to be proven wrong. In a class it is extremely important to watch what you as the teacher say to students not only because it is wrong to call someone stupid or a bas child, but it can come back to you and cost you your job. I understand emotions get the best of us sometimes and these are the times we as humans tend to mis-speak but as a teacher it can be hurtful.
I could not agree more. I do know how embarrassing and hard it was to speak outloud in the class as a young girl. Teaching now has showed truely how children can be mean to one another even more today. Therefor, I totally agree with the idea of building up a childs self-esteem with encouraging words but also teaching students how to respect and learn from one another. Thats why teaching culture is so important in schools today. It is our duty as teachers to not only teach students about our content area but also of life lessons. Thats why lessons should incorporate other social issues like having a positive self-esteem.
I must say, this article really made me think! I've been told before that I need to watch how I say things because I have said things that shouldn't of been said or that should of been rephrased and I ended up hurting people.
After a really good friend of mine pointed this out to me, I was more cautious on how I used my words. No one likes to hear certain things and everyone loves to hear good things!
It is very important for one to express themself with feeling and emotion and take time to think about what is being said. What might not mean anything to us, might mean something to someone else and it might stick to them forever. I have a friend who's name is Nuria and when she was little someone called her Noodle and she never forgot that, till this day she can not stand the name Noodle and if anyone ever mentions that word it brings her back to the day that she was first called Noodle.
Words are very powerful and shouldn't be used as weapons!
I always found it amazing the way language can affect us in many different ways. Words can be so powerfull that they can afect us emotionally as well as physically. I found the article very usefull for teachers because it is important to know how to speak to students in general, speacilly students that are ELL. I have observed many teachers speak to students in a way that it will scar the student for the rest of his or her life. We as teachers should be extremly careful on the way we speak to ELL students because these studesnt are not familiar with the language therefore they take into account other thigs like tone of voice, facial expressions, movement of hands, etc. I as a ELL founf myself doing all these thigs beacause thre were times that I did not understand the teacher but I knew if the teacher was mad at me or giving me a compliment. Children are very sensitive when it comes to words that we adults say to them and if we do not know how to use them properly we can really scar our children's confidence in a way that it can affect their learning skills in the future.
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