Following on the heels of my last post, Are You Comfortable with Silence?, here are some short motivational cues to deliver in the middle of longer periods of silence. These phrases help you reconnect with your students and make sure they’re on target, but release you from the need to say a lot. It shouldn’t take any longer than a couple of seconds to give these reminders.
Remember, at the beginning of the task, you want to tell your students what is required, how you want them to do it, and at what intensity, then let them go. As suggested in the previous article, if this is one of your challenges, resist the urge to speak for longer than you normally would. Start with one minute longer, then two minutes, then three, and so on. When you sense that you might be losing your students, it’s often better to quietly say a short but powerful phrase to reconnect with them.
Thanks Jennifer! Very motivational and to be honest I feel like I say the same things over and over! This is great, fresh! My students will love it! Thanks!!
You are welcome! Believe it or not….I sometimes return to my own list to refresh my cues! Sure, most of them are “stored” somewhere in my head, but a reminder is always beneficial. This is what our upcoming app will do! 😉
Simply wonderful, thank you so much for your beautiful encouraging cues, they definately make me feel more connected with my students as well. Brilliant:)
You are welcome Debbie! Glad you enjoyed them.
When I use cues like these, I can actually feel the receptiveness of my students. It’s a confirmation that what I am doing to motivate them is working! =)