Interpersonal Skills 11

Active Listening

What is the best way to facilitate learning in the classroom?

Active listening

• In the classroom, a primary benefit of active listening is to deepen learning.

***Active listeners are engaged in what is being said and respond to the speaker to improve communication.

• Active listeners encourage the speaker through non-verbal communication, such as eye contact and subtle head nods to indicate interest.

• Active listeners can paraphrase the speaker's message by putting it in their own words.

• They can also summarize the presentation by reducing it to the main points.

• Active listeners monitor their understanding and clarify ideas by asking the speaker questions if needed.

• They also reflect on the speaker's message by thinking carefully about it and may even evaluate it by assessing its quality.

Teaching Active Listening

• One of the most effective strategies teachers can use to teach active listening is to model it.

• Students may benefit from sentence stems to help with responding to spoken messages.

• Students may need direct instruction, especially when evaluating a spoken message.

• Teachers should also consider the layout of their classrooms and shift student seating if needed to optimize active listening conditions.

***When students identify the function of the spoken message, it helps them effectively set their purpose for actively listening.

Students should also understand the different key purposes for engaging in active listening.

• For example, sometimes we listen for pure entertainment, while other times, especially in school, we listen to understand what to do or to learn something new.