In the midst of a busy school day, it can be easy to overlook one of a teacher’s most effective tools for communicating respect: the art of listening well. Listening well shows others that we value and respect them. Everyone loves to be listened to and heard, no matter their age or role in life. We have opportunities every day to affirm the precious lives of others, just by giving them our focused attention.

In The Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis urges us: “We need to practice the art of listening, which is more than simply hearing. Listening... is an openness of heart which makes possible that closeness without which genuine spiritual encounter cannot occur. Listening helps us to find the right gesture and word which shows that we are more than simply bystanders.” (no. 171)

Here are a few suggestions for optimizing the listening efforts that you can put to work immediately in your classroom – for yourself and for students. 

1. Look the person in the eye when they are talking to you. ut down the book or tablet or put aside other tasks for a moment. Turn toward the person; stoop down if necessary. Stop, look, and listen.
2. Repeat without judgment what they’ve said. This shows you’re listening to hear and not to defend or rebut.
3. Be slow to speak. If you want someone to talk to you, you need to listen, listen, listen! We always want to put our two cents in, guide them, correct them, or offer advice. But, speaking too soon can shut off communication rather than further it.
4. Ask open-ended questions, without judgment. Ask to learn more, not to subtly steer their thinking. They can sense your sincerity and interest in them.
5. Share your experience and personal faith values rather than just your advice. When it comes time to respond, be open and tell what experience you’ve had with the issue at hand. Then share the values that guide your actions. Kids love to learn more about their teachers’ experiences and beliefs—as long as it’s not a lecture disguised as conversation. 

Listening well demonstrates respect for others, a key principle featured in the Family Life series. For example, in Grade 5 of Family Life, Lesson 3, teaches how listening is part of honest and open communication (Student Edition, p. 25).

Jesus was a great communicator because he listened as much as he spoke. In the Gospels, we hear him asking open-ended questions that demonstrated his respect for each person. For a discussion starter on listening, check out the new Scripture videos in the Blest Are We Faith in Action grade level organizer. There you will find stories of Jesus’ method of listening to others, as in the video for Grade 3, Unit 5, where Jesus makes time to listen to Zacchaeus the tax collector.

About the Author
Dr. Lauri Przybysz specializes in equipping families to live their vocation to be domestic churches and signs of God’s love. Lauri received the Doctor of Ministry from the Catholic University of America, and she has been both a Catholic middle school religion teacher and a faith formation coordinator at the archdiocesan and parish levels. She is the mother of 6 children and grandmother of 21.

 

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