through. Emerson’s often-quoted line expresses the

idea succinctly: “What you are speaks so loudly, I

cannot hear what you are saying.”

The three most significant dimensions of ethos are

these:
Competence—The speaker who is perceived
as poorly prepared, unable to explain the
material clearly, and deficient in the neces-
sary knowledge will cause listeners to turn
away from the ideas presented.
Trustworthiness—Listeners must sense a
well-meaning attitude toward them. The
speaker must be seen as honest, sincere, and
concerned about the welfare of the listeners.
Dynamism—Research conducted in speaker
credibility suggests that modern-day
audiences are more influenced by the
speaker's energy level than by the other two
ethical ingredients. While I would be
hesitant to recommend that anyone cultivate
an artificially frenetic classroom style, any
instructor with an extremely low-key style
of speaking is working twice as hard to get
the information to its destination than the
one who will do a little tap dancing.

Ideas for Improving Classroom Speaking Style

¢ Speak loudly, clearly, and at a rate that is comfort-
able to you and manageable for the students.

¢ If you use a lectern, avoid welding yourself to it.
The speaker’s stand should be used as an aid for
holding class notes, not as a Barcalounger.

¢ Keep your eyes on the students. Watch for
nonverbal, as well as verbal, feedback. Do they
look perplexed, hostile, sleepy? Are they taking
notes? Are they alert and interested?

¢ Never read lectures. It is agonizing for listeners.

¢ Speak from an outline rather than a manuscript.

e Use supplements (charts, graphs, drawings, mod-
els) when they might help you explain something.

¢ Encourage a friendly, open atmosphere where
students will not be afraid to ask questions. Draw
out the quiet ones without intimidating them.
Try to monitor understanding. Rather than
saying, “Everybody got that?” (to which everyone
will nod obediently), ask a student to rephrase the
idea, give an example, or raise a challenge.

¢ Move around while you are working in the class-
room. Listeners are better able to maintain atten-
tion to aural stimulation if they are receiving
simultaneous visual stimulation. Moving close to

students who are providing some sort of distrac-
tion in class will usually restore their attention. |

¢ Look at yourself honestly and try to identify an -
correct distracting mannerisms. If facilities are
available, have one of your class sessions
videotaped and scrutinize the tape carefully, if
possible, with a colleague whose judgment you
respect. Do you: Fill pauses with “uhs” and
“uhms?” Play with pencils, paper clips, rubber
bands, and whatever else you find lying around
in the classroom? Scratch your head? Play with
your moustache? Twirl strands of hair? Repeat
certain words or phrases so often that they
become hallmarks of your style?

e Present yourself energetically and with all the
confidence you deserve. All audiences—student
or not—will generally invest about as much confi-
dence in the speaker as the speaker seems to
demand. :

e Allow disagreement without being defensive.
Students who are asking challenging questions
are listening and thinking.

¢ Try not to let personal problems unduly influence
the conduct of your class. Although students
understand that we are human, too much intru-
sion from a negative mood dampens the overall
atmosphere. The instructor's power to set the
tone for everyone in the room is immense. To © re
large extent, playing the role of good cheer even
when your outlook on the world is momentarily
bleak, holds the personal distraction at bay. The
act becomes, for as long as it is necessary, the
reality.

e Enter your classroom with optimism and good
will toward your students. Treat them with
respect rather than patronizing them.

Janice Peterson, Assistant Professor, Communication
For further information, contact the author at Santa

Barbara City College, 721 Cliff Drive, Santa Barbara,
CA 93109-2394.

7

 

Suanne D. Roueche, Editor

 

November 10, bere Vol. Xi, No. 27 INNOVATION ABSTRACTS is a publication of the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD),

©The University of

exas at Austin, 1989 EDB 348, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, (512) 471-7545. Subscnptions are available to nonconsor-

Further duplication is permitted by MEMBER —_tium members for $40 per year. Funding in part by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and the Sid W. Richardson Foundation.
institutions for their own personnel. Issued weekly when classes are in session during fall and spring terms and once dunng the summer. ISSN 0199-106X.

10