Communication is an effective tool to express your ideas, thoughts and views. In any stage of life, you are, you want to express yourself. Nobody wants to be in isolation. These points must be kept in mind whenever you want to communicate with someone, especially in your classroom:
- Identify your goal:
Before starting to speaking on a topic, one has to be very clear about the goals they want to achieve with that conversation. Understanding the purpose helps you plan your strategy for communication accordingly. It will help to shape the message you want to convey and you will be more effective at communicating.
- Be concise:
Brevity is also an essential element for effective communication. Talking too much will result in lots of actual meaning of the message you convey. Avoid being overly verbose as the listener will loose interest in the message.
- Talk according to level of knowledge of the listener:
Tailor your message according to your audience. Avoid technical jargon if you are talking to people with limited knowledge about the topic you are speaking on. Consider the audience’s preferences, age, education, and cultural background as these factors can determine their response to your message.
- Communicate at the right time:
You must know when to speak and when to remain silent. Your audience must be in right frame of mind to receive your message. If the message is conveyed at a moment when the listener is engrossed somewhere else, the whole communication would be a sheer waste of time.
- Cultivate confidence:
An effective communicator is aware of his or her abilities. There should be eye contact with the audience. Speak with a steady pace so that you are heard clearly.
- Be a good listener as well:
Communication isn’t just about what you say. If you want to be a good speaker, then you have to be a good listener too. Don’t get so focused on what you’re saying that you are not ready to listen to the views of your listener. Communication will be effective only when the communicator as well as the listener both are equally involved.
- Ensure feedback:
Only conveying the message will not complete your role as a communicator. Get the feedback from the listener so that you are able to ensure that the message has been understood in the same manner in which it was conveyed.