Monday, November 26, 2012
Listening Techniques
Some ways I have found to improve my listening skills with students is to try to practice active listening. I make sure that I focus on what students are saying and try to understand their explanations or questions clearly. If I am not sure what a students means I ask them clarifying questions to get more information or I ask them to tell me more about the topic. I also look at them while they are speaking and make eye contact. I sometimes repeat back to them a short summary of what I heard them say or try and rephrase their question to make sure that I heard them correctly and to show I was listening. I use wait time as well. I like to allow students to finish what they are saying before I jump in and comment. This has been hard for me though because I am always trying to balance that practice with the fact that I have to keep the discussion moving and keep the other students interested. I still need to improve on how much I chime in when students are explaining and when I need to hold back.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I'm sure that answering some of these prompts can get tedious, but you never let that show in your responses, Nicole. One example I have as evidence is that you'll take your thinking a bit farther than what's expected. In this post, you extended your response by saying that there's a tension in the way you think about listening--on the one hand, you know it's important to give kids time to talk/discuss, and to respond in an authentic way, but on the other hand, the constant pressure of time often compromises your ability to support that goal. You're already a highly-reflective teacher--and it's ironic that being reflective often brings significant challenges to your work because you have to face the truth, that is, the disconnect between theory and practice. I admire that you're willing to lean into the discomfort. It will serve you well in your career if the discomfort compels you to problem solve.
ReplyDelete