Title: Listening Skills for Teachers, How to Listen, How to Communicate
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Content: Even making small remarks such as “Ah ha” during the message conveys a real interest in what the other person is saying. Obstacles to Listening
It is important to be aware of the obstacles to listening in the classroom. You should be aware that all the people in the classroom, including yourself, are filtering and interpreting every word through a personal screen of attitudes, values, assumptions, judgements, past experiences and strong feelings. Be aware too that listening behaviour will be influenced by factors such as age, sex, cultural background and even physical appearance and mannerisms. In some cases you, as the teacher, will simply need to make allowances for poor listening in others, and take positive action to remedy the situation. Anxiety and Distraction
Listening, like learning, is difficult in an atmosphere of anxiety, tension or boredom. At some stage, all students will feel some degree of anxiety, and for some it can be a disabling experience, preventing them from listening, learning and participating in the classroom. The student’s anxiety may be social, caused by fear of other students or of the teacher or it may be caused by a fear of academic failure. It is important to identify the cause/s of the anxiety which will help the student to relax and listen. Teachers should also be aware that all students learn in different ways, some being extroverted and outgoing while others choose not to participate actively in group discussions or role plays.