Effective communication is essential for teachers. Communication allows for teaching and learning to take place. Teachers must analyze situations and use the appropriate communication method. Creating a supportive classroom where students feel encouraged and treated fairly allows them to focus on learning. Providing feedback and presenting material in multiple ways helps all students learn. Building relationships through interpersonal communication at the start of the year also positively impacts the learning environment. While teacher and student expectations often align, clarifying expectations reduces misunderstandings. Strong listening skills further strengthen classroom communication.

1. Communication
Competencies
Communication is the key to being an effective
classroom teacher. Teaching and learning
would not be possible without good
communication. Effective communication
occurs when the message sent by the sender is
interpreted the same way by the recipient.
Good communication is free from barriers.

2. Domains and Roles of Communication in
Education
 Communication Pedagogy – the study of effective ways of teaching
communication. Modeling good communication and watching videos
on good communication can help the students become better
communicators.
 Developmental Communication – studies communication levels over
time
 Instructional Communication – how teachers use communication to
teach. A teacher may be an expert in her field, but not know how to
communicate the information to the students. The teacher should
present the material in a variety of ways to ensure student
understanding.

3. Application of Communication
Competencies for Teachers
It is critical for teachers to be effective communicators. Teachers need to have
the ability to analyze a situation and determine the most appropriate act of
communication. It takes some years of experience and feedback to become a
better communicator.
The effective communicator can analyze the situation and apply the most
appropriate communication act.
Creating a supportive classroom climate where students are encouraged to be
open and treated fairly allows students to focus on the content and increases
student participation and learning.
Giving and receiving feedback is important to student learning. Feedback can be
verbal – spoken aloud, or nonverbal – a headshake or frown.
Effective classroom communication also includes presenting information in
different ways to reach diverse learners.

4. Benefits of Effective Interpersonal
Communication
Interpersonal communication is essential in order to connect
and have a great year of learning for teacher and students.
It is important to build these relationships at the start of the
year. A teacher has the ability to increase a child’s self-
esteem or diminish it. As teachers we need to find the good
in each person and build on that. Educators should set high
expectations and value each individual. Teachers who enjoy
teaching and have good communication have a positive
influence on student achievement.

5. Similarities and Differences Between Teacher Expectations and Students
Expectations
Similarities Differences
Teachers should enjoy teaching and
students expect to have a fun and
enjoyable learning environment.
Students focus more on enthusiasm while
teachers focus more on teaching
objectives.
Teachers expect all students to meet
the minimum objectives and student
want to know clearly what’s expected.
Clarity is important to students;
however, teachers sometimes don’t
realize that they have not communicated
effectively.
Teacher expectations directly affect
student performance. Students will
usually have greater success if the
teacher expects more.
Students expect compassion but not all
teachers show compassion.
Teachers expect to access regularly
and students expect timely and
effective feedback
Students expect organization and not all
teachers are organized.
While many of the teacher and student expectations are similar, the disparity
seems to come in when the two sides are determining how well those
expectations are being met.

6. What is Listening?
 It is the 1st communication skill we learn
 We spend more time listening than any other skill
 Listening requires hearing, understanding, remembering,
interpreting, evaluating, and responding
 Listening takes practice and requires attention
 Listening for understanding improves with practice

7. 4 Types of Listening
 Informative listening - listen to gain knowledge and it
require you to remember the knowledge to use in the
future
 Appreciative Listening – listen for enjoyment
 Empathic Listening – listen for the feelings of another
person
 Critical Listening – listen to make judgments about the
message

8. Barriers to Listening
 Factual Distractions – listening to facts instead of the main idea
 Semantic Distractions – reacting to unfamiliar words differently
 Mental Distractions – occurs when we focus on ourselves or how we are going
to respond
 Physical Distractions – noises, color of clothes, temperature
Strategies to overcome barriers:
Remove any physical barriers if possible, for example move somewhere quieter
Try to focus on the speaker
Give the person your full attention