In the Math Corps, we use a lot of hand signals. For example, “silent applause” is two hands up, palms forward, wiggling fingers; doesn’t interrupt the flow of the conversation, but allows for a visual cue of celebration and agreement.
The most powerful one is “support”: rolling fists. Imagine: a kid is all alone at the blackboard in front of other kids, high school TAs, college instructors, struggling to solve a problem, worried what other people are thinking. The TAs are rolling their fists, so the other kids know to do it; it becomes a social norm to use hand signals. The kid at the board looks back at the team room, and sees 20 kids silently rolling their fists, saying, “you’ve got this! I’m with you, you can do it!” There’s nothing like the sight of the first time a kid experiences that, and sees themselves in a place where *everybody* is truly rooting for them.
Another use of non-spoke communication
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