Events vs. Non-events

It's easier for us to recall events than it is for us to recall non-events. Sounds like a no-brainer, doesn't it? But this simple fact has far-reaching implications.

Every day consists of many "non-events" punctuated by a few "events." Here's what I mean. Let's say that one day, a student lost his temper, threw his books down and stormed out of class. That same day a parent sent you an angry email claiming his daughter definitely turned in an assignment but you forgot to put it into her grade and then blamed you for his daughter's F in your class. Then you got notification that there wasn't enough money in the account to purchase the new supplies you were hoping for. As you drive home, you are likely to think about how bad the day was. However, there were three "events" that happened during an otherwise normal day full of non-events. As it happens, the non-events were likely quite positive. If you teach 30 students per class for six class periods, then 180 students pass through your door each day. The vast majority of those students probably worked on the assignment you gave. (Yes, a few probably didn't work at all, but these would be a few "events" amidst a host of other "nonevents.") The majority of students were quiet while you explained some instructions. They (mostly) arrived on time and waited to leave until the bell rang. They went to and from classes without much of a fuss all day long. These are all examples of "non-events" and every day is full of them. The problem is, it often takes only one bad "event" to make us feel like a day didn't go well.

It's easier for us to recall "events" than "non-events." Our brains zero in on abnormalities and we have a hard time shaking them. Continuing with the above example, the main danger here is that we will focus on a few negative things and therefore adopt a pessimistic outlook. In a previous post we saw how damaging pessimism is.

The good news is this: now that you know how your mind unconsciously focuses on "events" you can turn some of the positive "non-events" into events and then focus on them. A student got irrationally upset and stormed out of class--take a minute and realize that none of the other students did that! In fact, the other students thought he was irrational too! Rather than stewing on the three students in 5th period who refused to do any work, maybe you can remember and focus on the 27 who worked fairly well for most of the time. Instead of dwelling on the angry parent's email, maybe think about the 179 parents who didn't send you an email rant. If we practice not letting a few events spoil our day, then our minds will create more accurate representations of what has happened. Those accurate representations are going to be less negative than the few "events" would have suggested. The result? We will feel more optimistic. And our feelings will be conveyed to our students. They will feel the positive energy emanating from us. They will feel safe. They will feel like you enjoy them. Then they will perform better for you. And you'll feel better about your days and the whole thing will snowball and you'll be more magnetic.

But it's your choice. Will you let a few "events" spoil your otherwise "non-event" day?

Projecting Ourselves to Students

What if you could predict the outcome of business negotiations and business plan pitches with 90% accuracy? If you had such an ability you might be able to make some money in the stock market. Researchers at MIT have discovered how to do it and their accuracy is 87%!

The secret?

Watch the body language of people pitching their plans. That's it. You don't even need to listen to a single word they say! Without hearing a single word, researchers watched the body language of the pitchmen and predicted with astounding accuracy whether they would succeed or fail.

Now, how do we project "magnetic" body language? How do we increase our personal charisma? How do we come across as more competent, caring, and trustworthy to our students?

These are the million dollar questions. Teachers who master magnetic body language have an incredibly easier time managing their classes. Their students are more productive. They simply enjoy their jobs more. And they are rated as more highly effective by their superiors.

Our bodies send off thousands of signals automatically and there are far too many signals to consciously control. Wait a minute! If I can't consciously control my body language, what's the point in reading this article? :-)

Here's the point: body language automatically broadcasts our inner mental state. If your inner mental state is frustration at the bureaucracy surrounding education, disgust over the dismal home life of your students, shock at obnoxious behaviors of students, etc, etc, etc... No matter how real the issues or how accurate your perceptions (many students' home life is truly sad and destructive!)--if those things dominate your inner mental state then you will broadcast your inner dissonance to all your students. It's guaranteed.

Even if you control your main expressions--force a smile, hold your arms in a relaxed way, etc--you still can't help but broadcast your inner mental state.

If there's a group of students that you "just endure" until the day or class period is over, you'll signal unconsciously. If you put on a smile while you "endure" then your smile "won't reach your eyes." Your smile won't appear genuine. And your students will know.

So... What to do?

You have got to find a way to think more positively, to look on the bright side. It's possible, but it will take work. Your mind will believe whatever story you tell it and will broadcast to everyone your inner mental state accordingly.

Have you ever found your heart beating rapidly during an exciting or scary movie? You know that what you see on the screen isn't actually happening, but your mind treats it as real and you experience very real physiological reactions. Your brain can't distinguish fact from fiction. This is true not only regarding movies but regarding body language. If you put a positive spin on your inner frustrations, your body will respond and your body language--thousands of tiny signals--will broadcast optimism, confidence, and compassion to those around you.

For some reason, some people prefer to dwell on the negative. They enjoy murmuring about the policies that make teaching difficult--and there's plenty of those to chat about! They prefer to complain and bicker about problem students--again, lots of difficult children out there! Instead, if they would channel their feelings and put a different spin on it their personal magnetism would automatically increase and their problems will actually decrease.

I have had difficult students, several famous throughout the entire school. In the lounge if a teacher said, "I have _____ in class," all the other teachers would respond with rolling eyes and groans. Everyone knows which kids are the most difficult. I've had students like that over and over again. The funny thing is, those kids aren't problematic in my classes. I haven't had to send a student to the principal for behavioral issues in more than 15 years. And the reason isn't because we have a school full of angels.

Well, this post is getting a little long. Hopefully I've convinced you to try to put positive spins on your situation. I hope that in doing so, the thousands of unconscious signals that you broadcast to others will change for the better. And as a result, you'll have more genuinely positive things occur in your career. Those things will increase your positive body language, and the "snowball effect" will keep on going. The toughest part about making a snow ball is getting it started! :-)

How a Pencil Can Change Your Mind

When you looked at the Far Side cartoon above, you developed an opinion about how funny it was. How do you decide how funny something is?

Surprisingly, your opinion of the cartoon would be radically affected if you happened to be holding a pencil...in your mouth.

In his book, Thinking: Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman describes a study in which participants were asked to hold a pencil in their mouths. Some were asked to hold the pencil sideways--a pencil in this position mimics a smile. Others were asked to hold a pencil by the eraser end--the person's mouth makes an "O" around the pencil, similar to a sad expression.

Would you believe that the people who held the pencil sideways, mimicking a smile, on average rated the cartoons as funnier than those who made an "O." Let that sink in. The implications are that your facial expression--even if it is "forced" by a pencil--will affect your emotional state and the judgements you make.

Here's another shocking study. People were given a set of headphones and told that they were helping the company test the quality of wiring. While moving their heads, the volunteers were told to listen to a man speaking and to determine if their head movement caused static in the headphones. Some participants were told to move their head up and down in a nodding motion. Others were told to shake their heads from side to side as they listened. Afterward, the participants were given surveys about their impressions of the man speaking in their headphones. They were asked to rate how pleasant the man sounded and how much they liked his message.

The experimenters weren't actually evaluating the quality of wiring in headphones. Rather, they wanted to know if head movement can affect peoples' perceptions. By now you might be able to guess the results. The volunteers who nodded while listening to the speaker found the man's voice to be more pleasant and they gave what he said a more favorable rating. Those who shook their head while listening rated the man more negatively.

We like to think that we objectively form and shape the opinions we hold, but that's simply not true. By holding a pencil in our mouths or by moving our head a certain way we can change our own perceptions of the world. Our body language not only affects the way others perceive us, but it also affects the way we perceive the world around us. Forcing a smile will make a big difference in how you perceive your circumstances. Being pleasant even when you don't feel like it is the first step in actually feeling pleasant. Make sense?

This partly explains why humor is so effective in the classroom. If students are smiling while you speak to them, they are more receptive to what you say. Even a pleasant expression on their faces will yield more receptivity to the lesson.

As you read about the preceding studies it is tempting to think that these findings apply to others, but not to you personally. However, these findings have been rigorously established numerous times and it's a good idea to realize that you aren't the exception--your own facial expressions and body language will change your own perceptions.

So, how about adopting postures that lead to positive thinking? You'll enjoy your day more and your students will too!