Why Your Body Language Impacts Your Teaching Success

It’s not what you say; it’s how you say it. This truism is particularly relevant for teachers who spend their days standing in front of a group of young people helping them learn critical life skills and academic concepts. Throughout a school year, your students will become familiar with many intricacies of your body language and will likely get to the point where they can tell if you are pleased or displeased—based on just the smallest movement—even before you do. Your non-verbal cues can have a significant impact on your effectiveness as a teacher. To elevate your success and the success of your students, understand the importance of such subtleties, and then follow our ideas to improve your non-verbal communication in the classroom.

The Importance of Body Language for Teachers

The relationships that you develop with your students are critical to student performance and academic achievement. According to experts from the National Education Association (NEA), the most effective teachers use body language to communicate with students, build rapport, and make them feel safe and supported. Your body language also conveys authority and credibility and is as essential to fostering a positive and productive learning environment as your lesson plans themselves. 

How to Improve Your Non-Verbal Communication in the Classroom

It can be challenging to remain self-aware of the subtleties of your body language in the middle of a lecture on sentence grammar or long division, but try to stay aware of how you present yourself and follow the tips below to best position yourself to improve your rapport with your students. 

• When speaking with a student one-on-one, face him or her directly and maintain eye contact, which demonstrates engagement and consideration.
• Stand up straight with your head up. This approach is known as displaying high body power, and it conveys confidence and success. Slouching or slumping your shoulders expresses disinterest or unhappiness, and it can have a negative impact on your body physically long-term.
• Command your classroom with confidence. If you appear disorganized or unsure of yourself, it may convey vulnerability.
• Hands are trust-indicators. Do not cross your arms across your chest, place your hands behind your back, or in your pockets. When students can see your hands, they subconsciously will perceive you as trustworthy.
• Do not multitask by flipping through your planner while a student is speaking. Remain engaged and practice active listening skills.
• Maximize your classroom space. Try not to stay in the same spot during an entire lecture. Move around the room. Doing so helps keep students’ focused and will give you an opportunity to make more direct eye contact with every student—not just those in the front of the room.
• Smile every chance you can!

If this comprehensive list of body language best practices feels overwhelming, try focusing on just one or two items at a time. Start with your posture, then try to focus on eye contact, and then moving around your classroom more often. Soon, these behaviors will become second nature, and you will be taking note of the positive impact your non-verbal cues are having on your hard-working students.