Posture and facial expression are the most instant methods of communication. And we come to know something better when we can act it out in the real world.
With these principles in mind, Joseph Bissex, Heights English and drama teacher, uses the mind-body connection to advantage his students in the classroom. By deploying movement in his lessons, he teaches the boys to be aware of their own body language in order to understand texts and become more compelling communicators.
But it’s more than just a method for learning English and drama—it’s a general tool for the teacher’s toolbox. Mr. Bissex tells us that if you can be attentive to your own body language, you strengthen your own teaching; and if you’re attentive to the body language of others, “you start to see stories all around you.”
Chapters:
3:39 Body language reveals disposition
5:36 Deliberate body language
9:03 A “disembodied” age
11:32 Physical-izing your lessons
13:26 Observing student body language
15:14 Example class exercises
18:34 Parenting with intentional body language
21:07 Awareness: a trainable skill
Links:
Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell
“Making People Happy Makes You Happier, Too” by Arthur Brooks, The Atlantic
Also on the Forum:
Drama as a Teaching Tool: Freeze-Frame Tableaux by Joseph Bissex
The Teacher’s Voice featuring Tom Steenson
Featured Opportunities:
Fatherhood Conference at The Heights School (November 7, 2026)
Convivium Conference for Teaching Men at The Heights School (November 11-13, 2026)