Ralph Waldo Emerson and Mae West would seem to have little in common, but there is one thing they both understood--the importance of body language. Educators, psychologists, anthropologists and sociologists define body language or nonverbal communication as communication without words. It includes overt behaviors such as facial expressions, eye contact, touching and tone of voice. It can also be less obvious, however, as through dress, posture and spatial distance. The most effective communication occurs when verbal and nonverbal messages are in sync, creating communication synergy. There are some important reasons why nonverbal communication is used: (1) Words have limitations; (2) Nonverbal signals are powerful; (3) Nonverbal messages are likely to be more genuine; (4) Nonverbal signals can express feelings too disturbing to state; and (5) A separate communication channel is necessary to help send complex messages. This article discusses the many ways that nonverbal communication comes into play in the classroom, focusing primarily on the reasons why it is important for teachers to be good nonverbal communication senders as well as good receivers.