Monday, July 27, 2020

Tune In


Listening has been a common theme in this blog, because it’s such an important coaching skill. As we prepare to listen better, I think the “Levels of Listening”* can be a good mental checklist of what to tune in for. 

Discriminative

When we are discriminative listeners, we recognize vocal expression and non-verbal cues.  We hear the enthusiasm when a teacher shares a new idea. We see the slump of the shoulders that signals discouragement.  Discriminative listening helps us to differentiate messages by tuning in to more than the words being said.

Strategic

Strategic listening includes absorbing new information and making connections between ideas. We may ask questions to clarify, and we synthesize the current conversation with previous ones to get the big picture.  As we listen strategically, we may also summarize what the teacher is saying in ways that provide clarity for her.

Precise

When we listen precisely, we hear details. We can piece together a story, recognizing sequences even if information isn’t shared chronologically.  We infer the teacher’s meaning based on the context of the conversation and what we know about his classroom.

Critical

When we listen critically, we distinguish between facts and opinion and recognize bias. We think about sources that are mentioned and evaluate the validity of the information.

Appreciative

An appreciative listener recognizes the power of language and is aware of the feelings and moods that are evoked by the speaker. If we listen appreciatively, we may admire the flow of words and take pleasure in listening.

When I listened recently as Caitlin talked about plans for the upcoming school year, I thought about how these levels of listening came into play.  Considering the possibility of returning to remote learning, Caitlin said, “I’m not a big technology person.” Listening discriminately, I heard acquiescence in her voice, acknowledgement that this was something that might have to change.

Caitlin continued, “I use technology in my room, but second grade is hard because it’s their first year on Chromebooks. It’s a switch.”  Strategically, I recognized that Caitlin was backing her opinion up with facts: First year with Chromebooks.

“Going into next year, We’ll start immediately using digital platforms. Get them more used to it. So that if this does happen, I’ll be able to move right to that quickly. I’m a big believer in pencil and paper, and real books and things, because that’s what research is showing us is effective. That being said, we’ll learn how to do these digital learning platforms right from the start. So that they’re more comfortable with it.  As I listened precisely, I noticed that Caitlin was giving details about her plans for the beginning of the school year. Her story’s sequence was projecting into the future. I listened critically, too, wondering what research she’d read that indicated the benefits of “real books” and pencil and paper.

I appreciated the chance to listen to Caitlin’s thoughts about technology in the upcoming school year. I recognized the tension she felt and the concerns that her words created for me, too.  I hoped, too, that in talking this situation through, Caitlin found power in her words to be proactive, even in the face of uncertainty.

Thinking about these five levels of listening heightened my awareness of how much we can learn when someone else does the talking. The listening levels are valid one-on-one or in groups and in both face-to-face and virtual conversations,

As coaches tune in by being discriminative and strategic in our listening, by attending with precision and having a critical, yet appreciative filter, we’ll learn from the conversation, and so will the teachers whose conversations we’ve tuned in for.

*National Communication Association. (1996). Speaking, listening, and media literacy standards for K through 12 education. National Communication Association.

This week, you might want to take a look at:

Great ideas for digital reading responses:


Children’s cyber-safety during the pandemic:



How to create a Bitmoji classroom (if you know Glogster, it has similar functions):



Coaching through email signatures:



10 SEL strategies:


That’s it for this week.  Happy Coaching!

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