 Topics and Competencies
Introductory
Grade Level
Middle Grades, High School, College/Adult
Subject Area Integration
None |
Author(s)
Tamika McElveen
Source
#PassingTheMic:
A Curriculum to Amplify Youth Voices & Develop Critical Consciousness, https://www.passthemicyouth.com
Kaplowitz, D. R., Griffin, S. R., & Seyka, S. (2019). Race dialogues: A facilitator’s guide to tackling the elephant in the classroom. Teachers College Press. New York
Date Created/Most Recently Revised
March 2021 |
Learning Objectives
- Identify patterns of active listening
- Distinguish between listening to respond and listening to learn
- Use context cues to know when to “take a step back”
Materials
- Levels of Listening handout
- Peer Interview questions
- Large board paper, markers, sticky notes, or other materials that allow participants to sort information
Instructions
- To introduce the topic, a video portraying internal listening can be used to begin the conversation about how active listening looks and feels.
- An example is : Everyone is waiting to talk about themselves (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjXq22kkLAg) – Warning: Video contains adult language.
- Introduce definitions of internal, generous, and global listening while allowing participants to share their experiences with each type. Layer additional terms (e.g., context cues and inclusive listening) into the conversation to deepen participants’ awareness of the roles that nonverbal communication, empathy, and unbiased listening play in active listening.
- Internal listening: Listening in a way that is focused on yourself. During this form of listening, you are primarily preparing for a response, considering your opinions, related stories, or judgements.
- Active listening: Verbal and nonverbal skills that demonstrate unconditional acceptance of the interviewee’s experiences and unbiased reflection by the interviewer. Three critical elements of active listening include: (1) communicating involvement and attention through nonverbal communication, (2) paraphrasing, restating, or acknowledging the interviewee’s message, and (3) asking questions to encourage elaboration. These elements build a relationship of empathy and trust between parties.
- Generous listening: Listening in a way that is focused on the speaker. During this form of listening, you are authentically curious and ask questions that allow the speaker to elaborate on their perspective.
- Global listening: Listening in a way that reflects awareness of everything in the room, including the energy, nonverbal cues, and emotions of the participants. This level of listening is useful for teachers, group leaders, and facilitators. It can also be helpful for participants to “read” their learning environment and engage in an inclusive manner.
- Inclusive listening: Listening in a way that allows all people, regardless of their background or social identities, to feel respected, heard, valued, and understood.
- Next put participants in pairs or trios to conduct peer interviews. Ask each person to speak for 2-5 minutes and then have the listener(s) indicate what they heard. Then have the participants switch roles. You might also have an observer who comments on the listener and speaker’s body language and other things they noticed. Make sure that every person gets the chance to be in each role.
- Peer interview topics can include general topics or relate to a current event. The goal is to provide participants with the opportunity to listen to the perspectives of others followed by an opportunity to compare, contrast, and connect information and experiences.
- General topics:
- What is your favorite place to visit?
- What is your favorite food or recipe?
- What is your most memorable childhood memory?
- For reflection, ask participants questions that relate to:
- Sharing: What happened?
- Participants share results and observations; discuss their experience engaging in the activity.
- Was the climate conducive for active listening? Why or why not?
- Processing: What’s important?
- Discuss how specific issues were addressed
- Identify patterns or themes
- How well did you maintain nonverbal communication, paraphrase information, and ask questions to elicit additional information throughout the interview?
- Was it difficult to actively listen and not respond? Why or why not?
- Has active listening changed your perspective in any way? If so, how?
- Generalizing: So what?
- Connect the experience with real world examples
- Connect the experience to personal life
- How is this exercise of active listening similar to or different from an experience you had recently as a listener?
- How is this exercise of active listening similar to or different from an experience you had recently as a speaker?
- For application, ask participants to create a Content Map using a Venn diagram or continuum to analyze the experiences gathered from the peer interviews. This exercise will allow participants to think more broadly about the concepts or constructs that emerge in preparation for a large group discussion and global listening practice.
- After completing the final activity, engage in a large group discussion about the content maps. Ask participants to discuss the similarities and differences in the content maps and remind them to look for the verbal and nonverbal communications from other members of the group. Finally, ask participants to reflect on their global listening.
- Did global listening change your usual group behavior? If so, how?
- How can active listening counter systems of oppression in our everyday lives?
Variations
- In some versions of this activity, speakers are asked to talk for a very specific amount of time (1-2 minutes) and the listener(s) are asked to refrain from giving verbal feedback or asking questions. This instruction forces the listener to focus entirely on listening but can feel unnatural.
- Learning for Justice: Active Listening
Extensions
Assessments
Evidence of Effectiveness
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