Oral communication is one of the foundational tools that
students learn to develop in schools at an early age. Oral communication is an
essential skill to posses and it can have an impact to help improve other
essential learning skills such as reading and writing. Communication can also
make learning easier for students, and help students achieve their goals. When
students become effective communicators they will become more confident in some
of the roles that they are taking part in and will become less likely to
hesitate answering questions or speaking up during class. Therefore, effective
communication skills can lead to strengthening a student’s self-esteem, so that
they are more confident in their learning abilities and will strive for higher
standards in their personal growth and development.
As a teacher, we must reward verbal and open communication
in the classroom because I believe that if a teacher does this they will notice
an improvement in the class performance and achievement levels. If I am
promoting open communication in the classroom, I hope that students are willing
to participate in discussion and perhaps engage in debate. Public speaking can help students develop
their critical thinking skills, which can be used towards many different types
of learning across the curriculum. By asking my students questions and having
them participate in discussions and debates, I will be able to see if my
students have retained the material properly or understood the specifications of
the requirements on a particular task. If there is little feedback in their
responses, then I know that the students possibly did not understand the
information. Having an open communication with my classroom is extremely
important because it allows the students to express any questions and concerns
that they might have and it also give them the ability to assess where they are
at in their learning and self reflect. For myself, it allows me to assess my
students and provide them with feedback and support to guide them in the right
direction to enhance their learning.
In our literacy class, we were asked to review an article
entitled Debate: Where Speaking and
Listening Come First. This was an excellent resource that discussed the
importance of promoting public speaking and the ability of student engagement
in the classroom. The authors suggested that teaching our students how to
effectively communicate and debate in the classroom would boost student’s
self-confidence and improve their critical thinking abilities. They also
identify what debate looks like and sounds like in the middle school classroom
environment and how debating differs from simple conversation. The authors also,
provide teachers with strategies on how to engage their classrooms into
student-centered activities, such as debating; the article also provides
strategies on how to assess classroom discussions and conversations. I think that this is extremely to teach our
students these skills because often people do not know how to think critically
when they engage in a conversation because it is not something that comes
naturally to us, it is something that is learned.
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