ATSW Communication Skills 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which listening strategy should a teacher model when a student shares a personal concern?
- Multitask to save time
- Immediately offer advice and solutions
- Make eye contact, nod, and paraphrase what the student said (Correct answer)
- Redirect the student back to academic content quickly
Correct answer: Make eye contact, nod, and paraphrase what the student said
Active listening behaviors such as eye contact, nodding, and paraphrasing show students they are heard and valued.
Question 2: When presenting new material, varying tone and pace of speech primarily helps to:
- Demonstrate the teacher's subject expertise
- Maintain student attention and emphasize key points (Correct answer)
- Fill time during longer lessons
- Reduce the need for visual aids
Correct answer: Maintain student attention and emphasize key points
Vocal variety signals importance and sustains engagement by preventing monotony during instruction.
Question 3: A student with limited English proficiency does not understand an assignment. What is the BEST communication strategy?
- Repeat the instructions louder and more slowly
- Provide written instructions with visuals and check for understanding in steps (Correct answer)
- Have a peer translate everything the teacher says
- Excuse the student from the assignment
Correct answer: Provide written instructions with visuals and check for understanding in steps
Multimodal supports—written instructions plus visuals—scaffold comprehension for English language learners.
Question 4: Which of the following is an example of a closed question in a classroom setting?
- What evidence supports your argument?
- How might this character's decision affect others?
- What is the capital of France? (Correct answer)
- Why do you think the author chose this setting?
Correct answer: What is the capital of France?
Closed questions have one correct answer, while open questions invite analysis and elaboration.
Question 5: A teacher wants to communicate high expectations to all students. Which approach is MOST effective?
- Tell only advanced students that they can succeed
- Use the same challenging prompts for every student with appropriate scaffolding (Correct answer)
- Lower task difficulty so all students can experience success easily
- Avoid calling on struggling students to prevent embarrassment
Correct answer: Use the same challenging prompts for every student with appropriate scaffolding
High expectations communicated consistently through challenging but supported tasks promote equity and growth.
Question 6: Which element of non-verbal communication has the GREATEST impact on classroom climate?
- The teacher's clothing style
- Facial expressions and body language (Correct answer)
- The volume of the teacher's voice alone
- The speed of writing on the whiteboard
Correct answer: Facial expressions and body language
Facial expressions and body language convey warmth, authority, and enthusiasm, all of which shape classroom environment.
Question 7: A teacher is preparing a message for the class newsletter. Which writing principle is MOST important?
- Use technical educational terminology throughout
- Tailor the language and content to the parent audience (Correct answer)
- Focus exclusively on academic concerns
- Write in the same style used for student assignments
Correct answer: Tailor the language and content to the parent audience
Audience awareness ensures communication is clear, relevant, and appropriate for the intended reader.
ATSW Communication Skills 3
Which listening strategy should a teacher model when a student shares a personal concern?