This
week, I’ve been reminded time and again of the importance of listening and
hearing. This means putting our own responses on hold while we try to
understand another’s perspective. As coaches, we’ve recognized the value of
this practice in our work. Instead of writing a new post this week, I want to
point you toward some past posts about listening during coaching and ask you to
consider:
· How might this
apply in interactions outside of coaching?
· How can I
encourage others to recognize these benefits?
· How can I
advocate for voices that sometimes go unheard?
I
believe that listening to understand another’s perspective recognizes their human
dignity. In coaching, we talk a lot about continuous improvement. Listening is
one way to make things better.
In
the post
linked here,
I promote hearing. Although
we listen with our ears, we hear with our hearts. Our hearts, together with our capacities for
reasoning, create a more intense connection.
Hearing implies a deeper level of understanding. It requires effort. Listening is passive, but hearing is an active
verb. (I’ve sometimes seen these terms switched, and I’m fine with that – I
just want to point out that real hearing/listening includes working to
understand the speaker’s intentions and feelings.)
In
this post, I talk about
reflective listening practices like emotion
naming and summarizing. Thoughtful responses like these open up a
conversation for productive problem-solving.
This post is about
courageous conversations. It includes some suggestions for building a trusting,
open atmosphere and enriching your understanding of a situation.
Finally,
some more general thoughts are in this post
about approachability. While we listen, paying attention to our posture,
positioning, and facial expressions can help others to feel at ease.
I
don’t want to ignore the many voices that are being raised in our country right
now. I believe that being heard is a
human right and that listening offers a way forward. Both in school contexts and other settings,
the skills you have developed as a coach will be a valuable contribution.
This
week, you might want to take a look at:
Lessons
learned from remote learning:
Using
children’s books to teach literary theory in high school:
Sidewalk
Chalk math arouses curiosity:
Free
virtual summer camps for kids:
A
few students read their coronavirus journals:
That’s
it for this week!
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@vscollet for more coaching and teaching tips! You can
also find me at VickiCollet.com
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