Active Listening
In Teacher’s College, one of the most important tutorials covers the concept of active listening. This concept is so simple that many people underestimate its power and potential. Active listening is a characteristic that makes a person stand out- be it in the job interview, the classroom, or the home.
Active listening is a commonly misunderstood term. Many people believe that it involves listening to a person intently. Well, that is a part of it, they are missing a large portion of the definition. Other people believe that it means being able to give advice to the speaker. This is generally incorrect.
Active listening is a concept that involves a listener and a speaker. The listener must give the speaker their undivided attention. The listener must not make any inappropriate body signals- looking at a watch, staring blankly, crossing the arms defensively etc. The listener must not interrupt the speaker until he or she is finished speaking.
Once the speaker finishes, the active listener will summarize their feelings. They will create a summary sentence starting with “You feel.....because...” Below is an example:
An angry mother comes into the classroom and begins to talk about how upset she is with her daughter’s grades. She continues on about how worried she is about her daughter being kept back a grade.
As the active listener in this example, the teacher would quietly and intently listen to the mother. When the mother finished, the teacher would summarize the monologue. Perhaps she could say: “So, Mrs. Smith, you feel anxious because your daughter is not progressing at the level you would like. You are worried because you think she might be kept back a grade.”
This seems awkward in such a situation, but it has amazing results. The mother will be surprised that you are such a great listener and will be more respectful of what you have to say. Many teachers would become defensive and start an argument in this situation. This is definitely a bad idea. Just letting parents explain their feelings to you is a way to help them shed the stress in their lives. They will feel like they have thrown a huge burden from their shoulders. It is a great way to begin an parent-teacher interview. As well, many employers will ask you if you are an active listener and ask you to respond to what they say accordingly:
Here is an example for you to try: A colleague comes to you and tells you about her day. She says: “A kid broke a window during his temper tantrum and nobody bothered to do their homework. I don’t know why I even bother with teaching. Honestly, I just feel like quitting right now.”