exams and handshakes

[Deborah Hume]

Did you wonder at any time during the summer term whether your handshaking with male students and not female students after the exams was sending a message to both the female students and male students that men were taken more seriously in your classroom than were women? (Handshaking being a form of nonverbal communication that I read, at least, as one conveying respect and acceptance. How is that not appropriate for a women?) And did you wonder at any time whether that message had any impact on a student's learning or performance or motivation or participation in your course? The question on which you invite comments really pushes some buttons -- as perhaps it was meant to. It seems to me that it displays either insensitivity or ignorance of appropriate professional behavior to your colleagues on this list -- and I can only add that I shudder for your students -- females AND males. Deborah Hume Deborah L. Hume, Ph.D. Assistant Professor in Psychology Stephens College 1200 East Broadway Columbia, MO 65215 Phone (573) 876-7141 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, August 01, 2000 11:58 AM Subject: Exams and handshakes > During this Summer term,I wanted to find out if the nature of  the post-exam handshake would indicate to me how well a student did on the exam. So after each exam,I shook the hands of the male students and I noted that the students who  made very high scores gave a firmer determinative handshake than those with average scores. I would like to find a method to use with the female students( a handshake just does not seem appropriate).  Should I analyze what type of hug I get from the female students? > Comments invited. > Michael Sylvester,Ph.D > Daytona Beach,Florida