With 30-40 students in a class, do teachers actually listen? Is it possible?
It’s a challenge, but not impossible.
The basis of any relationship is paying attention, deep listening and courageous communication.
What is Deep Listening?
Deep listening is listening with Attention and Compassion. You are there for the person even though the person is filled with anger, jealousy, criticism and wrong perceptions. You listen without reacting or fixing the other. You are just there!
I wonder what “Not listening” is for a child. How do they see it?
I posed a question to the children to come with up their thoughts on times when they aren’t being heard!
They say…You(teachers) are not listening when…
You do not care about me;
You judge me for my behaviours or the behaviours of my parents;
You say you understand before you know me well enough;
You are in a hurry;
Believe you are right and I am wrong; Too Righteous 🙂
You have an answer for my problem before I’ve finished telling you what my problem is;
You cut me off before I’ve finished speaking;
You complete my sentence for me;
You find me irritating, and restless and don’t tell me what to do;
You feel critical of my vocabulary, grammar or accent;
You are dying to tell me something;
You are correcting me before connecting;
You tell me about your experience, making mine seem unimportant;
You are communicating with someone else in the room;
You refuse my thanks by saying you haven’t really done anything.
Which of these resonates with you?
We can’t be listening deeply and actively all the time. Nevertheless, wisdom lies in being aware of when we are not.
My next article will be on times when children feel you are genuinely listening to them.