CAN YOU READ MY FACE?
I am a people watcher, and I love to see the way people interact and to see how people respond to situations. I remember sitting in Boston Commons as a high school student on a mini-mission, paired up with sister missionaries for my church. One of the ways they did proselyting was to go to common spaces and talk with people. I was MORE than happy to sit in this common outdoor space and watch the numerous people walking back and forth, sitting and talking, and various other activities on this warm, summer day. Boston, much like New York, is a melting pot. So many cultures are represented in this great city. Some of these people were very expressive and dramatic, while others seemed quite reserved and keeping to their own business. Watching people is fascinating to me. I had never realized at that age that culture could play a part in the way different people expressed their emotions out in public. It makes so much sense to me now!
My mother always told me I gave away my feelings too easily on my face, "Your face talks!" It is true - I am dramatic, and I show emotion too easily sometimes. I believe it is culture mixed in with personality. I am from the east coast, and apparently we have a higher tolerance for public expressivity than perhaps someone from the west coast. I can imagine the perceptions from how people express emotions in different levels. I am sure there have been many misunderstandings based on these perceptions, in the business world. How will it be in a classroom of English Language Learners? I imagine knowing ahead of time where my students may fall along the tolerance scale is pretty important! I would not want to cause hurt feelings, or misunderstandings, because I did not understand their emotional reaction. I will add this to the list of the other cultural differences so that I am a sensitive and understanding teacher. I will also be cautious of how much emotion I let out on my face! I hope my face talks nicely about my students.
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