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How to avoid verbal gestures when teaching

Have you ever been sitting in class or at a lecture or just listening to someone talk using the same word or phrase over and over again (eg ‘ah’; ‘OK’) so that you get distracted? If you have!

We all have words or phrases that we are likely to use frequently. One of those phrases could be, ‘Okay.’ It’s okay to use these phrases often if they’re used in the right context. However, it’s not “okay” to use them as “gap fillers” while you’re thinking about what you want to say next. A pause in your speech is best, as it can create a sense of anticipation in your students about what is coming next and gives them a chance to gather their thoughts about what you want to say. Let your eyes wander around the class to make sure the class is ready for what’s next. This is a better ‘gap filler’.

As a teacher, one of your main responsibilities is to be as perfect an example as possible of the correct use of language.

Frequent use of words like “good” can show a lack of vocabulary. On the other hand, it could simply be a nervous mannerism created by a lack of confidence in what you are doing or in your content knowledge or in the teaching approach you are using. He must remember that, as a class teacher, he will always know more than most, if not all, of his students. Therefore, there is no need to lack confidence or be nervous.

On a more positive note, the use of these words may simply be an automatic and involuntary ‘gap filler’ designed to give you time to think.

So what do you do to prevent them from becoming a distraction for your students?

First of all, you need to know what is going on. Hopefully your supervising teacher during your teaching practicum will point this out to you and help you weed them out before you start your career. Once he has started his career and you suspect that he has verbal mannerisms, ask your teaching mentor to observe a lesson to verify the situation.

Once you know you have these gestures, there are ways to avoid them.

1. Learn to pause in the moment instead of saying the word or phrase. So, because your conscious and subconscious minds are working many times faster than you can speak, the pause in what you’re saying will actually be much shorter than you think. Then decide what you need to say and say it.

2. This is a good time to look around the class/audience to see how they are reacting to what you are saying. Use this time to think.

3. Make a list of your verbal mannerisms and create a list of words or phrases that you can use to replace the ‘offensive’ ones. Here are two examples:

well well:

“Any questions? Are you happy with that? Do you have a problem with this? Do you agree? Do you understand? Do you need more information before we continue? Now. Next. Alright, let’s continue.”

Right:

“Right. That’s right. That’s right. That’s the right answer. That’s the right answer. That’s all. Well done. Who agrees with that answer? Yes, Tom, do you understand that answer?”

These are obviously simple examples. Still, it’s important to make sure the alternative word or phrase fits well with the context you’re using. Otherwise, it will also become a distraction.

If you pride yourself on how well you use language, you’ll want to eliminate these verbal gestures and expand your working vocabulary.