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A skilled teacher will always make sure to pay close attention to what their students are saying and thoroughly respond to their concerns. It often takes a whole lot more than just paying attention to what a student is saying to effectively listen.
You must also make sure that you are actually taking in what they are saying and providing helpful feedback.
A teacher with good listening skills will actively engage with the information that the student is relaying.
They Will make sure that the student knows they are being listened to, whether by questions, recommendations, or simply offering their thoughts when appropriate. It matters just as much how someone listens as if they are even listening.
It is important that the student feels that they are heard. If you are going to provide them with the optimal learning experience then it is essential that you take their opinions, concerns and inputs into consideration when you are both structuring and delivering the classes throughout the academic calendar.
For you to become a good listener and have effective conversations with your students, there are certainly various techniques that you can employ within your next class discussion. We all engage in listening as a regular aspect of life, right? It is a component of our communication.
However, the majority of us actually don't listen well. Some of the time, we hear what we want to hear. There are also plenty of situations where people are less responsive to what they're being told. If a student hasn't got the results they wanted in an exam, they might need time to process this before they're ready to listen truly.
Every tutor, teacher, and parent should be able to listen well since it fosters relationships with kids and students and gets them to open up to you. When I've asked students about this, many have said that the adults that genuinely listen to them are their favourites.
Students, also, need to make sure that they are listening and working on these skills. This whitepaper shows that better listeners tend to learn more quickly and improve their reading skills at a better rate than others.
Let’s take a look at some ways that you can improve your communication skills in the classroom and improve as a listener. These are written from the point of view of a teacher learning to improve communication, but the tips apply to everybody.
Methods to Become an Effective Listener in the Classroom
You must be physically and mentally prepared to tune in. Turn off the mind chatter and concentrate fully. You’d be surprised at how much more you take in - and conversation can be a lot more interesting.
Show your interest. You need to look like you’re listening. Engage your eyes, smile, nod and make your posture open and inviting. This will encourage them, to speak to you more. This is also useful advice to students who say their teachers often accuse them of not focusing in class. Many of us learn best in a one-to-one environment because we are more likely to listen to specific advice.
Watch your student/child’s body language. When people speak quickly it’s likely they’re excited and interested in the topic. If they have slumped shoulders with their chin to the ground, perhaps they are upset or lack self-esteem. Folded arms can signal defensiveness against your response - or sometimes just that they’re cold! Be aware of this body language and sensitive to it when listening and responding.
Don’t imprint your own set of life experiences onto what your student or child has said. You might add your own experience to the conversation but make sure you are also taking the time to understand their viewpoint, given their own unique life experience. If we are to encourage divergent thinking, different styles of thinking and new approaches can make all the difference.
Don’t imprint your own opinions onto your student or child. This can often happen by asking closed questions, like “do you mean…?”. Instead try to word your questions in an open format, such as:
"When you said x, what did you mean?"
"Can you give me an example of what you meant by x"
"Tell me more about your feelings on this…"
These questions can help clarify that you fully understand what a student or child is trying to communicate. If you have any stories which show how listening has made a difference then please share them in the comments box below.
Some More Methods You Can Try
Avoid interrupting. Always pay attention to what others are saying and let them finish their sentences before responding. Interrupting demonstrates that the listener feels more important or doesn't truly care about what the other person is saying.
Avoid attempting to divert the subject to address your own issues. Waiting your turn to speak or planning your next move are not examples of listening. The speaker will be aware of your distraction, even if only subconsciously.
It conveys a lack of consideration and regard. Not to mention that interruptions are typically employed to make a point or a comment that has nothing to do with the initial subject of conversation.
Don’t be judgemental. In order to understand someone fully you need to set aside any previous criticisms, judgements or opinions.
Remain open-minded. Effective listening involves retaining your interest and remaining open-minded, even though you should give the student an opportunity to express their message without interfering. You'll be better able to understand the student's message if you can think critically about what they're saying and ask them questions.
Encourage your student/child with active prompts such as ‘yes’, ‘mmm’, ‘aha’, or repeating keywords back to them. You don’t need to do this all the time: using prompts every so often confirms to the speaker that you really are listening.
Communication coach Alex Lyon talks about good listening, and the process of "active listening" and how this can build relationships.
He discusses engagement, the fact that paying proper attention is crucial, and that certain skills and prerequisites exist. A lot of it is about committing, and avoiding distractions around you.
Taking Action
In essence, there is only one way to show your students that you are really listening to what they have said, by showing them!
All of your students are people with their own thoughts, opinions and feelings, so listening well requires empathy. This will demonstrate to your students that you are listening carefully and that you are actually taking in what is being stated. Taking action is another way that you can relay to your students (or your teachers, if you are the student) that you are not only listening to what they are saying but you are also taking it on board.
For example, if your students are having difficulty with a particular chapter from their maths textbooks and voicing their concern about their capabilities to perform in an upcoming exam this could be an opportunity to take some action.
If the entire class seem to be in the same boat and is struggling to grasp some of the more complex ideas that have been introduced in the latest maths chapter that you have covered you could make amendments to the upcoming assessment.
Reducing the level of difficulty, changing the number of total questions or providing them with more time to complete the exam are just some ways that you can show your students that you are in fact listening to them. Encourage creative thinking and different approaches if something in the classroom is not currently working.
Believe me, your students will respect you for it and it might even lead to them going the extra mile for you in their studies down the line. This is an example of how important it is is to listen to your students as an educator.
This is just one-half of effective communication that allows the learning experience to thrive in the classroom. Give it a try the next time your students voice their concerns about something that is troubling them at school.
Show Others That You Listen
Whether you are the student or the teacher in this scenario, it is crucial to show others that you do, in fact, listen to them.
You can demonstrate to your students that you genuinely care about their education and well-being by using some of these listening strategies in the classroom. This might significantly affect how well they do in class, how they approach learning, and how they see you as a teacher.
If you are the student, listening properly and showing that you have taken onboard advice helps to build a better relationship with a teacher. Plus, in truth, they normally know best.
Keep in mind that using a private teacher will allow you total discretion over how to conduct your sessions. You could decide to make your classes as interactive as you wish, and you could solicit advice from every student that signs up for your tutoring sessions.
They will value you as a teacher even more as a result of this, which will not only help them learn more in your class overall. Your Superprof tutoring account's review section will reflect this.
Going above and beyond for your pupils is something that is always appreciated. Few tutors will ask students how they can make the sessions more entertaining and beneficial for the students, and the majority of tutors will simply sit back and pass out notes for their pupils to review.
Plus, becoming a good listener can be invaluable learning that you can take for yourself and apply not just in your work life but in countless other walks of life.
If you're interested in conducting your own tutoring sessions, go to the Superprof website. Making your own profile on the platform shouldn't take too long. List your education, work history, and the subject or subjects for which you are seeking tutoring. Prospective customers should get in touch with you as soon as you are set up.
If you have the necessary time, expertise, and willingness to teach a subject that needs to be addressed, tutoring can be an excellent career alternative for you.
You can always fit some tutoring into your weekly routine, no matter how busy you are. No matter how many classes you are able to enrol in, it is simple to fit into your schedule due to its amazing flexibility. Start using Superprof right away!
A lot of people don't realise just what a huge part of education listening is. It is nothing short of crucial, and shows respect between tutor and student.
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