ABSTRACT
Students may come from wealthy families, middle-class families, or poor families (one in five children in America live in poverty). Even when a group looks pretty much the same, every student has strengths and weaknesses, ideas and emotions, troubles and joys that make up a unique personality. Every teacher works with a wide range of students, and the mix changes every year. Many teachers were “teacher-pleasers” themselves. They did their homework regularly, sat still at their desks, raised their hands, and knew the answers. Effective lecturers consistently monitor the connection with their audience. Some are skilled at reading body language, facial expressions, and nonverbal cues. Others ask students to give a “thumbs up” or “thumbs down.” Still others will call on one or two students who generally struggle with comprehension, knowing that if they “got it,” the rest probably did too.
