Active Listeners
We as educators have to develop a desire to listen, create a capacity to listen and be able to evalute and respond to what you hear.
You're welcome, Ellen. Thanks for taking the time to read through some of these discussion forums. Peers often have good ideas.
I have found that the ability to ask well designed questions might be the most important skill a teacher can master.
Interesting idea- asking for questions may not encourage discussions as well as I thought
thanks for the idea of creating a different query.
I agree 100%. There is no better time to practice this and become good at it than when a student comes to you with a personal problem.
I have listened to students comments over a period of weeks and had suspected trouble at home but waited until they have made a clearer indication through a particular comment before offering my opinion. I offer them a platform to expound by saying something like, 'yeah I thought something may be bothering you because I've noticed this or that particular behavior. They usually open right up and spill the issue to me. I then offer guidance or recomend them to another agent that is better able to assist than I. I think this also develops their EQ too.
Thanks, Terry. Student questions can provide us with a lot of information.
Asking well-prepared questions can be helpful as well. Sometimes students do not know what questions to ask when they are not getting something. Others are hesitant to ask questions.
One thing to avoid is asking "Any questions?" or "Does everyone understand?" Often teachers ask these and are pleased when they do not get answers. Sometimes the students figure if they do not ask, the teacher will move on or end the class period. It is far better for the teacher to ask well-worded questions that are largely prepared in advance.
As I consider the topic of listening and conducting a class...I often have to consider questions being asked by the students. Listening to the questions asked by the students often allows me to gauge the pace or depth to conver the topic at hand. So,I encourage students to ask questions...
