The nonverbal language of the health educator.

Communication in the classroom is often a problem for both students and teachers. Previous research has shown that non-verbal teaching behavior can have a profound effect on students when mixed with verbalization and may serve as a major source of confusion. Misinterpretation is common and in the area of health education may foster the development of negative health attitudes. Health education is a shared experience of students and their teacher, one which should be comfortable and supportive. It is the educators responsibility to develop teaching behaviors that are encouraging, inspiring, and comfortable. This can be accomplished by using a variety of techniques requiring a minimum of time, equipment and energy. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the need for cognizance of personal teaching behaviors and to suggest methods to evaluate these behaviors.