This blog post originally appeared in Edutopia's Community Discussions.
At the risk of ostracizing any colleagues currently struggling with flat-discussion classrooms -- trust me, I’ve been there, too -- I’d like to admit that D108 is anything but quiet this year. My advanced seniors, in particular, can fill entire periods with their own excited voices. They discuss the craftsmanship of author style, the implications of context on content, and the ambiguities of our current texts (as well as Harambe, the gorilla -- he oddly comes up in conversation often, too). My co-teacher of the course and I work hard -- with socratic seminars, philosopher’s chairs, interpretation circles, and countless back-channels (to name a few approaches) -- to create such student-led, discussion-heavy rooms. The students become wonderfully confident and expertly articulate speakers, and I smile proudly when enveloped by their booming voices during our class- and group- discussions. Recently, though, these students’ self-reflections after a practice oral exam offered a perspective that reminds me that, especially in education, there is always room for growth. One reflection spoke of the student beginning to respond before realizing what a prompt even asked. Another student noted her “head couldn’t keep up with her mouth” in her recording. Throughout the reflections, the same voices clamouring for turns to talk in class told me: we can speak well, but we could listen better. Deep listening is a technique beautifully rooted in American traditions like the Quaker faith and various Native tribes. (It does not, perhaps, show itself well in Presidential debates or Congressional hearings.) At its core, deep listening entails listening over hearing and connecting over responding. In relationships, deep listening means acknowledging others’ emotions so they feel heard. In careers, deep listening means developing productive, honest communication by listening to understand, not merely to reply. In my classroom, deep listening can mean students better know each other’s ideas and therefore better know our studies. It can mean a more inclusive atmosphere where all voices feel respected and where moments of silence are welcome. Here are five activities I plan to implement in my own classroom -- that any teacher of any discipline can use -- in order to promote deeper listening in our academic discussions:
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