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For reflection:
• In which situations can eye contact be difficult for a teacher?
• To develop instructional quality in a school, teachers can visit each other’s
classrooms and reflect upon the teacher’s breathing—for example, when the
teacher needs to act upon problems during the lesson. How does the breathing
pattern influence the outcome of the classroom climate?
• If the classroom is noisy and the teacher slows down the breathing before acting,
how does that influence the outcome?

Voice
The voice is a major part of our communication. Messages are revealed not only
through words but also through the quality of the voice. Hence, the voice has both a
verbal and a nonverbal aspect. Research on communication for teachers highlights
the significance of the nonverbal aspect of the voice, such as vocal variety (Babad,
2008). When mastering the voice, the teacher has a tool to awaken curiosity and
excitement, to make the students calm down, and to help them focus on the given
task.
A person’s voice is closely related to one’s identity and therefore can be
demanding to modify. Hence, it is less challenging and therefore beneficial to begin
by practicing the more technical aspects of the voice, such as speed, volume, pitch,
melody, accents, pauses, and articulation. It is a good exercise for a teacher, while
speaking or reading, to explore consciously how far one can exaggerate each aspect.
The more a teacher consciously experiments with the voice, the more vocal variety
the teacher will have at his or her disposal. In one class, the best vocal tool might be
to lower the volume of the voice to make the students become curious, quiet, and
focused, while in another class other vocal tools will be needed for the same result.
Raising the voice with annoyance or frustration will undermine the leadership and
risk creating a learning environment in which students do not dare to ask or answer
questions in fear of being “told off.”

Leakage
Unconscious nonverbal communication, often referred to as “leakage” (Babad,
2008), includes small nervous moves—for example, fiddling with a pen—or
repeatedly using fillers such as “er,” “ah,” “hm,” or other insignificant words or
sounds. Leakage generates contradictory signals and is a distraction for students.
When a teacher is standing in front of a class, students will often interpret leakage
as the teacher being insecure or nervous. It is important for teachers to be made
aware of their leakage and what it is signaling, as well as to be given opportunities
to practice changing it. Eliminating those small insignificant movements and sounds
is challenging, but with practice and patience,
the leakage will disappear. Filming oneself is an
effective method to observe and reduce leakage.
Showing a negative affect, such as by sighing Messages are revealed not
and frowning, are other forms of leakage that can only through words but also
appear when, for instance, a teacher is provoked
by students. Allowing such leakage will have a through the quality of the voice.
negative impact on the students’ learning and
will also harm the relationship between the
teacher and the students (Babad et al., 1989).

Promoting Professional and Personal Growth of Educators and Excellence in Education 13