Nonverbal communication Group Activities

When your students arrive for class, greet them with silence in this nonverbal communication activity. As students begin to seat themselves, tell them that they all must remain silent until you tell them otherwise. You stay silent throughout the activity as well. Use only nonverbal cues to get them to engage in the normal classroom routines. For example, once everyone has situated themselves, use gestures to get them to open their books. You can put your hands together to form a book-like shape or mimic the way people often read by pretending to scour a page. The students will eventually pick up on your gestures and cues to perform the tasks. They then respond to you in kind with their own gestures. Continue for as long as you like and then discuss with the students how sometimes nonverbal cues can be just as effective as verbal communication.