Alert teachers immediately recognize when students become inattentive: they move near them or call on them to bring them back into lessons. Less alert teachers don’t notice the inattention. A sensitive teacher also responds to students’ nonverbal behaviors and makes statements (or asks questions) such as,” Jose, I see your eyes crinkled up. Do you want me to repeat what I just said?”
Careful monitoring followed by appropriate responses can strongly contribute to a climate of support while simultaneously demonstrating high expectations both for behavior and learning. Unless teachers are constantly aware of their students’ behaviors, the effectiveness of the other essential skills is greatly reduced.