It is probably easier to listen nicely when you don't know what some people are saying. :-) Know what I mean?
Listening skills can be taught I suppose, to people who want to learn them. But I tend to believe that people who want to listen probably already do listen, and people who don't, don't, and never will, no matter how many lessons you give them. I think most children do not feel listened to. If you listen to almost ANY child, at any school, they will begin to tell you everything, for as long as you will listen. Either their capacity for telling things to adults is infinite, or most adults don't talk and listen to children. I know with my own children I do not listen as much as they would like me to. I'm trying to correct that. I listen to them a lot, but sometimes, when I'm planning a lesson, or driving in heavy traffic, or talking to another adult, I don't listen. I want to make sure I don't make the mistake of being better with other people's children than I am with my own. Because that would be sad. |
