128 How to Sell Yourself
The responsibility of the teacher is to get the class interested.
This means making the classroom an exciting place to be. It also
means that each day’s lesson has to be presented in the most in-
teresting, pleasant, vital, and exciting manner possible. When
viewed in this light, teaching can be one of the most challenging
and rewarding careers anyone could choose.
Teachers as communicators
I did a training program for teachers of a major school system
in the southwest. It took place the day before the fall term was to
begin. There were 1,200 teachers attending the program. Two par-
ticipants had prepared to present their opening-day classes in front
of the group and knew they would be videotaped.
Each one greeted us as though we were the class and did the
first five minutes of the lecture.
Before playing back the videotape to show them how they came
across, I talked about the speaking techniques that make for great
communication: open face, open body, voice preparation, and
confidence. Then we played back their demonstrations, watching
them in the light of those techniques.
Both participants, along with the audience, saw strengths they
should keep and weaknesses they should eliminate.
It works!
When the two participants delivered the same opening a sec-
ond time, the difference seemed like magic. The second time
around, they made a conscious effort to open their faces.
They gestured on their descriptive words.
They were alive.
They were dynamic.
They were dramatic.
They really cared about us.
Everyone was so delighted that they gave the two participants
a standing ovation to express their pleasure with the improvement
in their teaching skills.
And here’s what everyone in the audience learned about good
teachers: