Have you ever stood in front of your class giving them what you felt were explicit directional instructions and half the students didn't go in the right direction?

Did you feel as if you were speaking in a foreign language? If you have ever experienced this, there may be missing link in your communication process.

Just as we all have different personalities, we all respond differently to different modes of stimuli. Each and every one of us interpret information based on a variety of factors. Some of us respond to vocal command, some of us respond to visual command, and some of us respond to more interactive physical command. And, it is almost guaranteed that you will encounter students from all three response groups in your classes. this is why we must learn to communicate with people on various levels. When we understand how to command the performance we want from our students in the manner to which they are best able to respond, we take a giant leap towards finding that missing communication link.

Let me break this down into a format that you can use for quick referencing: According to current research developing in the field of psychology, there are three basic categories that people usually fall into when it comes to communication: Auditory, Visual and Kinesthetic.

Auditory people are "specific" people. They are quite particular; they see things strictly in black and white, and there are no gray areas. They don't like ot "wing it" in most situations. Auditory people are generally technical professionals, they aren't very emotional, and they love working with gadgets because they don't have to do a lot of personal interacting. Auditory people have a tendency to be loners externally, but they do work well in certain group situations. they use terminology that relates to audible phrasing: "that doesn't sound right to me" "I hear what you are saying". If you ever have to five directions to an auditory person, they will demand specifics: they will pressure you to tell them street by street, block by block.

Auditory people find their place in class where they can concentrate and hear what is happening. Don't change this person's class without making it perfectly clear why you are changing and the benefits of the change. These people need specific body alignment cueing: they need specific directions. They don't like it if you say: "do your own thing." When you give them detailed information, they process it much like a computer and will comprehend quite well. Just be specific with your verbal commands for these folks - cueing, countdown and specific directional information are very important.

Visuals people need to "see" what you are talking about. they are also emotionally attached to situations based on acceptance. These people like being a part of the "in-crowd" they like to see the instructor clearly, they don't like to follow the others around them. They want to make sure that they get the true sense of where they are supposed to be. They are usually happy-go-lucky people; they can change pretty easily without many adjustment pains. Just smile favorably when you discuss changes with them and they will be happy.

Visuals also use sight-related words in their vocabularies; "I see what you mean" " Do you have a clear picture?" they respond to visual cues, such as arm directions and other body language for cueing.

Kinesthetic people communicate with feelings. They love to touch and to be touched. you can pat them on the back and give them positive reinforcement with gentle touching and they respond to it well. they speak with words that reflect feelings: "This feels right to me" "I am in touch with your needs"".

Take some time to talk to your students as well as your employees, associates, friends and relatives and find out what type of communicator they are and what type of conversation they will respond to. Not only will your classes run smoother, you will be able to achieve greater levels of success in your professional and personal lives.

- Unknown