Your quotations about literacy are inspiring!
Many of the quotations have to do with listening. What have been your experiences with listening? What anecdote can you share with us about you listening, or someone listening to you, or not listening...
My short anecdote is under comments...
(Image by Meganne Forbes; http://www.earthlight.org/2005/essay53_johnseed.html)
14 comments:
When I was about 12 years old, a camp leader from New Zealand came and visited by family. He was about 22 years old then. I remember sitting in my living room as he chatted away with my parents and I sat there listening. And I really was listening. I wasn't bored. I wasn't upset at not being the focus. And I was really conscious that this is what being an adult felt like.
When I was in grade 6, our social studies teacher just lectured us. No visuals, no discussion, nothing. I remember once he was lecturing about a river in China...and I definitely was not listening. He randomly asked me, "Would that be positive, or negative?" I figured I had a 50/50 chance of getting the correct answer, and I sternly answered, "negative." I guess the question must have had an obvious answer because he immediately gave me detention!
I find your story fascinating Laura and it raises lots of questions for me about what our understanding of listening in a classroom is: is the teacher the most important one to listen to? Does being able to answer a question correctly mean that you were listening? If you answered wrong, does that necessarily mean that you weren't listening? Is singling out a student, putting them on the spot, to get their attention effective in having them listen - and for what purpose should they be listening?
You're right - if I had been listening and honestly just didn't know what the answer was, I would have been even more humiliated. And even though I was embarassed, his strategy really didn't make me want to listen more in the future.
Listening, for me, is a challenging thing to do, especially if someone is talking about something that I have no interest, no experience, or no connections with. However, I can listen as long as I can interject with comments and questions and if it is in a more one on one setting.
I love listening; listening to stories, lectures, good political oratory, sermons and to comedic entertainers. To me it is comparable to listening to my favourite music.
I have a very difficult time with just listening - because a huge part of my own learning style is making connections with my previous knowledge - I'm always seemingly interrupting to ask questions or trying to compare what someone is saying to something I know or have experienced myself. Often times I'm saying "Is it like....?" or "Do you mean....?" just trying to understand. I am a rambler and these traits really do interfere with being a good listener as it disrupts the 'sharer's' ability to focus. Sigh :) Nearly 30 and I have a long way to go to becoming a good listener!
A great example of this was my high school math 11 and 12 classes.... I'd always raise my hand, and ask about the equations turning them around to think about it another way. If my teacher could have realized that's how I could make sense and solidify my learning - we would have had no problem. But in asking my question, because my level of understanding was deeper than my peers - I effectively would confuse the whole class making the teacher frustrated and shoot down any deviation in explanation from the one he provided. Talk about frustration for us all! Neither of us had recognized "WHEN" to listen and when to make our own connections. I could have used a teacher to listen to me - but shown me a more appropriate time to speak out (letting others listen to his lecture).
This has definitely impacted my behavior in the classroom - ensuring I give opportunity to listen to my students and be available to them. I would never want my students to feel unheard.
I think it's important to discuss with our students what listening really means. I am a very fidgety person and like to doodle, or have something for my hands to play with when I am listening. I remember having teachers in high school who felt that doodling meant we weren't paying attention. Having to sit perfectly still with my eyes on the teacher usually caused me to become less focused on what they were saying. I think we have to take into account the different learning styles and find ways to support students in finding ways to listen that work for them.
I love talking! Ha ha! I also really appreciate and can relate to all the above comments re: listening. I too love listening, am challenged to not interrupt, oft need to move and sometimes even make noise while listening, and make all kinds of different connections and assumptions while listening... I think listening gives another person a chance to create, a chance to share their story, to speak. You never know what magic can come out of someone... listening can help other people develop their voices and thought. It can be hard when we don't agree with or find interesting what we are hearing. Anyway, listening is important and worth it! LISTEN! We need to be able to listen to understand.
One memory that comes to mind was in a grade 7 math class. The teacher asks a student in the front row what page number he assigned for homework (because he had forgotten), and he was surprised that the student didn't know. "Out of everyone in this class, you were the one who seemed like they were paying attention the most. You must be one of those people that are good at pretending to listen." The student giggled, and nodded.
I always wonder when somone looks really engaged when I'm talking if they are just good fake-listeners, and are not really comprehending or even focusing on what is being said.
Growing up I had never really thought that my voice was really heard or even mattered so I tended to just sit back, keep quiet and listen. Sometimes my teachers would think that I wasn't participating, that I may have not understood or done my homework, but in all actuality it was because I felt as though my opinions, questions or comments were not valued.
By being the one who seemed to only listen many people began coming and speaking with me knowing that I would listen. It was great because I was someone who was there for others to listen to their voices; make them feel as if they are being heard.
When we teach our students about listening, we also need to practice what we preach. Everyone has different voices and it's important to listen to all of them and make them feel as though they count. By showing that you can listen you make others feel as though they can come to you and confide in you. Listening works both ways, and it's important for us as teachers to remember that.
I feel that listening is an essential skill in relationships. Listening is not just hearing the meaning of the individual words, but a method to understanding individual people, their thoughts, emotions, beliefs, etc. I enjoy listening to others, their thoughts, ideas and beliefs, and really "hearning them" trying to understand who they are and why they percieve the world the way they do.
I've had a pretty horrible day, so I'm not sure sure how much sense I will make...could just be some insessant ramblings.
I just wanted to comment on something that Brock said in an earlier post. He made mention of "good fake listeners". He was curious as to whether he had encountered one. Now, I am wondering too.
I wonder, what do they look like, these good fake listeners? Are there identifiable characteristics? How can you pick one out of ac rowd?
When you are having a small group discusion, often there is nodding and affirming sounds. Other people have previously mentioned this. In these instances, you know, or rather assume, that these people are good listeners. But, in a larger setting, often the "listeners" just stare, there is no affirming sounds or facial expressions. In a middle or high school setting there may be even less...
Something about listening that stands out for me, was a moment in grade 5 when I never heard the insructions clearly, or I was confused whatever the case may be and my teacher imediatley said to me " Alicia, sometimes I wonder if you have a hearing problem" this went straight to my heart. I knew I did not have a hearing problem, but the remark was so rude and hurtful. That was the first time all year that I asked her to repeat the instructions. . and as a student teacher I wonder sometimes that when studetns get the instructions wrong it's not becasue they have a problem it;s becasue there was some comprehension difficulty and we should have patience to listen to students when they ask for help. This is a differnt take on listneing but when I hear something like this that's the first thing that comes to mind. I like to listen because you never know what sort of things people have to say, but when I can realte to a sentence or a remark it's hard to contiune to listen becasue it strikes something in me and suddenly I find myself wanting to make a connection. Listening... is a defiently a skill and Lisa I think you make a good point that we have to consider learning styles becasue everyone learns differently and listens differently!
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