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RM1983
Joined: 03 Jan 2007
Posts: 360
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 Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 10:20 am Post subject: Hands in pockets? |
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I am preparing to start my ESL Diploma course and just watched a short video about body language.
The speaker advised that he has seen far too many teachers who do not know what to do with their hands, and that it is very difficult to say, keep them still by your side when you are talking to the class. He advises that if you cannot keep them still, you might be better off putting them in your pockets while they are not busy.
What do you do with your hands when you are talking to the class? Are you aware of them?
Isn't it rude to do this in Japan? (put your hands in your pockets)
Since I started teaching here, I hold them together behind my back.
Any response would be interesting. |
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Maitoshi
Joined: 04 May 2014
Posts: 718
Location: 何処でも
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| Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 10:41 am Post subject: |
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I usually use my hands for vibrant and emphatic gesturing, not too much unlike a spastic monkey.
I find that this tendency of mine usually keeps half my students half awake, a bit more than half of the time.
But on a serious note, it may help if we try to talk less and get them to talk more. Now that would be a real trick, wouldn't it? |
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RM1983
Joined: 03 Jan 2007
Posts: 360
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| Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 10:53 am Post subject: |
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| Maitoshi wrote: |
I usually use my hands for vibrant and emphatic gesturing, not too much unlike a spastic monkey.
I find that this tendency of mine usually keeps half my students half awake, a bit more than half of the time.
But on a serious note, it may help if we try to talk less and get them to talk more. Now that would be a real trick, wouldn't it? |
lol, actually over-gesticulating was something they warned about too. Have a look.
http://www.e-dos.org/video/lindsay-clandfield-and-duncan-foord-warning-teachers-against-very-unfortunate-body-language
edit-maybe not this video about the gesticulating |
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mateacher
Joined: 07 Sep 2013
Posts: 180
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| Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 11:37 am Post subject: |
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| one of my friends was an ALT a long time ago. He got fired because he kept putting his hands in his pockets as well as nearly snapping some poor japanese boys neck when they insulted the Japanese female teacher. When asked why he was being fired they said all the Japanese teachers kept complaining about his hands in his pockets. |
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RM1983
Joined: 03 Jan 2007
Posts: 360
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| Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 12:20 pm Post subject: |
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| mateacher wrote: |
| one of my friends was an ALT a long time ago. He got fired because he kept putting his hands in his pockets as well as nearly snapping some poor japanese boys neck when they insulted the Japanese female teacher. When asked why he was being fired they said all the Japanese teachers kept complaining about his hands in his pockets. |
Homer Simpson-style?
Actually I remember that once I was doing a high intensity Callan Method class, and I managed to accidentally nearly hit a student in the head with a marker pen |
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water rat
Joined: 30 Aug 2014
Posts: 1098
Location: North Antarctica
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| Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 12:24 pm Post subject: |
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| I like to pick my nose in class. I find it keeps attention focused on the teacher. |
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Maitoshi
Joined: 04 May 2014
Posts: 718
Location: 何処でも
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| Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 2:39 pm Post subject: |
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| water rat wrote: |
| I like to pick my nose in class. I find it keeps attention focused on the teacher. |
I think I'll need to adopt this method, myself, if I plan to compete with the other nose pickers in the class.  |
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The Fifth Column
Joined: 11 Jun 2014
Posts: 331
Location: His habitude with lexical items protrudes not unlike a damaged pollex!!!
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| Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 4:04 pm Post subject: |
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| Maitoshi wrote: |
| water rat wrote: |
| I like to pick my nose in class. I find it keeps attention focused on the teacher. |
I think I'll need to adopt this method, myself, if I plan to compete with the other nose pickers in the class. |
I go all the up to the third knuckle...try ta beat that! |
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TokyoLiz
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1548
Location: Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 10:16 pm Post subject: |
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Bodily effluents, every kid wants to know all the choice words for them. My kids "poop" in every interaction and writing exercise. I dare not teach them nose goblins, boogers, or snot....As it is, they like to "slay" their classmates they refer to as "minions".
Video yourself in action and then meditate on how you present to your minions. |
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Pitarou
Joined: 16 Nov 2009
Posts: 1116
Location: Narita, Japan
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| Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 11:55 pm Post subject: Re: Hands in pockets? |
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| RM1983 wrote: |
| He advises that if you cannot keep them still, you might be better off putting them in your pockets while they are not busy. |
Putting them in your pockets tends to look slovenly, and is a big no-no in Japan. Better to clasp them gently together and place them in front of your abdomen or behind your back.
But really, if you're not using your hands -- if you're just standing stock still and talking -- you're doing something wrong. |
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GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2014 12:02 am Post subject: Re: Hands in pockets? |
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| Pitarou wrote: |
But really, if you're not using your hands -- if you're just standing stock still and talking -- you're doing something wrong. |
+1
A big chunk of the job for ALTs in the classroom is really just showing how a 'native' says things. That includes body language (including gestures, facial expression).
It would be unnatural to not use your hands while speaking in English. I can remember spending over an hour in one French class being taught that English hand gestures are short and choppy motions. French ones are round. |
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RM1983
Joined: 03 Jan 2007
Posts: 360
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| Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2014 8:16 am Post subject: Re: Hands in pockets? |
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| GambateBingBangBOOM wrote: |
| Pitarou wrote: |
But really, if you're not using your hands -- if you're just standing stock still and talking -- you're doing something wrong. |
+1
A big chunk of the job for ALTs in the classroom is really just showing how a 'native' says things. That includes body language (including gestures, facial expression).
It would be unnatural to not use your hands while speaking in English. I can remember spending over an hour in one French class being taught that English hand gestures are short and choppy motions. French ones are round. |
Italian classes must be interesting then hey?
How about outside the ALT jobs? Say you've got 4 adults in and you're leading a discussion? You've got them chatting freely and don't need to interrupt much, just watch out for big or common mistakes. What do you do with hands? |
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Maitoshi
Joined: 04 May 2014
Posts: 718
Location: 何処でも
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| Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2014 11:07 am Post subject: Re: Hands in pockets? |
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"Say you've got 4 adults in and you're leading a discussion? You've got them chatting freely and don't need to interrupt much, just watch out for big or common mistakes. What do you do with hands?"
Too good to pass...reach under table and fondle cute ready-and-willing mid-thirties office lady to the right? |
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G Cthulhu
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 1373
Location: Way, way off course.
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| Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2014 3:10 pm Post subject: Re: Hands in pockets? |
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| Pitarou wrote: |
| But really, if you're not using your hands -- if you're just standing stock still and talking -- you're doing something wrong. |
Exactly. You should be walking around the classroom and you'll need your hands to steady yourself on the desks of students because of the hangover. That and taking cellphones off students, slapping them upside of the head as encouragement to not make mistakes, hand out your phone number to the cutest students, and to hold the pen that you will always have in hand to point at people or throw at them if they fall asleep. Etc.  |
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kpjf
Joined: 18 Jan 2012
Posts: 385
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| Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 12:27 pm Post subject: |
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| Don't know if it's bad or not but sometimes I grab the marker for the board and hold that in my hands. |
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