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Listening is one of the key quotients of effective communication. In this following article, we will concentrate on some of the most effective listening games for adults that can be used for learning this important skill.

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Fun and Engaging Listening Games for Adults

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Listening is one of the key quotients of effective communication. In this following article, we will concentrate on some of the most effective listening games for adults that can be used for learning this important skill.

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In a meeting, listen for the key needs record and return to items in PLCs

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In a meeting, listen for the key needs record and return to items in PLCs

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7 Keep a Google Keep of  & concerns topics heard during the day

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7 Keep a Google Keep of  & concerns topics heard during the day

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Ice Breakers for Active Listening : Teaching & Learning Styles

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Subscribe Now: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=ehoweducation Watch More: http://www.youtube.com/ehoweducation Active listening is a lot easier with a few properly played ice breakers beforehand. Learn about ice breakers for active listening with help from an education professional in this free video clip. Expert: Kevin Roberts Filmmaker: Jerome Sawyer Series Description: Education doesn't stop the moment a student leaves the classroom.

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"What makes you say that?"

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Reuther teacher, Erika Lusky, utilizes the
"What Makes You Say That?" question to conduct a
richer discussion about a piece of text.

Resources
Download these resources to use in your classroom.

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Reuther teacher, Erika Lusky, utilizes the "What Makes You Say That?" question to conduct a richer discussion about a piece of text. Resources Download these resources to use in your classroom.

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Mind Journeys: Listening to your own listening

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Mind Journeys: Listening to your own listening

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VR opens up new opportunities to practice active listening skills in a variety of scenarios, including at networking events, team meetings and conferences.

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Download Printable Version: Topic Seven: Active Listening Scenarios Knowledge Check

Active listening demonstrates to your staff you are interested in what is being said, you understand how he or she feels, and you understand the meaning and importance of their message. Poor listening skills can damage a coaching relationship and it can be difficult to reestablish trust.

In the "Active Listening" topic, a number of "Keys to Active Listening" were presented. This worksheet will provide a number of scenarios. For each scenario you are asked to identify the "Key to Active Listening" that is being demonstrated or could be used to improve the coaching moment. Please refer to the "Active Listening" topic message to refresh your memory.

Note: You do not need to submit your knowledge check; the Knowledge Check Key will be sent within the next week.

Active Listening Scenario: Adrienne scheduled a meeting with Jasper to discuss his year-end review. During the first 20 minutes of the 30-minute meeting, Adrienne talks through the feedback she has for Jasper. She uses the last 10 minutes to explain Jasper's rating to him. Adrienne leaves the meeting feeling as though she has communicated everything she needed to tell Jasper in a short meeting! Jasper leaves the meeting wondering what happened...

Question: Which "Key to Active Listening" could be used to improve this coaching conversation?

Active Listening Scenario: During a coaching conversation, Ahmed and Sharon have the following exchange:

Sharon: "I am not getting along with the new guy, Dan. I'm trying my best to work with him, but I feel like I have to prepare myself for awkward exchanges and tense interactions. You're able to work with him. How would you handle the situation?"

Ahmed: "It's great that you recognize that it's a difficult working relationship, and I appreciate that you've brought the situation to my attention. My recommendation is to approach the situation differently. Don't go into conversations with Dan expecting awkward exchanges and tense interactions. Put yourself in a neutral place before you approach Dan or when he approaches you. If that doesn't work, consider having a direct conversation with Dan about the situation. If you feel uncomfortable doing so, I'd be happy to mediate a conversation to make the working relationship more at ease."

Question: Which "Key to Active Listening" is being demonstrated in this coaching conversation?

Active Listening Scenario: In preparing for her weekly check-in with Ramma, Myra reserved a conference room so they'd be free from distractions during their conversation. She shows up with a notepad and pen, but leaves her phone in her office. When Ramma joins her, Myra outlines the purpose of the meeting. While Ramma speaks, Myra is attentive and takes a few quick notes. In closing the meeting, Myra restates Ramma's key points and summarizes their next steps.

Question: Which "Key to Active Listening" is being demonstrated in this coaching conversation?

Active Listening Scenario: Zach scheduled a meeting with Amanda to discuss an error in a report he discovered. The report has already been published - and to the Commonwealth website for all to see. When Amanda arrives at the meeting, she says, "What did you do? How did this happen? We can't have errors like this going out in our reports!"

Question: Which "Key to Active Listening" could be used to improve this coaching conversation?

Active Listening Scenario: Jeric is meeting with Kate to discuss her goals. Kate's face is drawn, her arms are crossed, and she's leaning away from Jeric. Jeric works down the list of goals, but all Kate responds with is one-word answers - sure, yeah, okay. Something is clearly wrong, and Jeric says, "Kate, I can tell something else is on your mind. Let's put your goals aside for now and talk about it." Kate drops her arms to her sides, and shares with Jeric that she's upset that she didn't receive the promotion she was hoping for.

Question: Which "Key to Active Listening" is being demonstrated in this coaching conversation?

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Topic Seven: Active Listening Scenarios Knowledge Check

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Download Printable Version: Topic Seven: Active Listening Scenarios Knowledge Check Active listening demonstrates to your staff you are interested in what is being said, you understand how he or she feels, and you understand the meaning and importance of their message. Poor listening skills can damage a coaching relationship and it can be difficult to reestablish trust.

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Education Week - The Art of Coaching Teachers

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I'm just about ready to declare that active listening is the highest priority skill for a coach to master and that it must be mastered prior to success using any other strategy. This is because I have seen and experienced innumerable instances where a coaching conversation either results in deep insight and big changes as a result of the coach's skill in using active listening or because a conversation has struggled because a coach didn't use active listening.
Active Listening Defined
Active listening is a deceptively simple skill. It's a communication technique which requires that the listener feed back what the other person has said and reflect that hearing the complete message that was expressed. Here's the biggest challenge: You can only do this if you're paying really close attention. Your mind can't wander, you can't drift into your own memories, you can't start generating solutions for the issue at hand, and you can't start mentally arguing with the speaker. You have to fully concentrate to get what it is the speaker is saying.

You're probably familiar with active listening--or paraphrasing--statements. They sound like:

* I hear that you worked really hard on that lesson and it didn't go as you wanted. You sound frustrated.
* It sounds like you're feeling really good about that interaction, that it went the way you'd hoped it would.
* What I'm hearing is that you'd like more acknowledgement of your work. You wish your principal had appreciated your efforts at the staff meeting.

The basic active listening stems: I hear...It sounds like...What I'm hearing is...So...In other words...
Active Listening Challenges
There are a few tricky things about using active listening. First, it can be hard not to sound like a parrot. If you just repeat back what the speaker has said, he/she won't feel heard, because it's not about accurately remembering and repeating the words. However, using some of the speakers words can also help the speaker feel like you really listened--you paid attention to the exact words. Repeating a few words that might have been particularly meaningful to the speaker can be effective.

The second challenge is to be cautious that you're not overly interpreting what someone else is saying. For example, you might say, "It sounds like you were really angry when your teaching partner said..." And the speaker might respond by saying, "No, I wasn't really angry. I was just upset, I wasn't angry." If you overly interpret too much, you risk losing your coachees trust in your ability to understand him/her.

One of the ways to navigate these tricky parts is to always add a statement to the end of an active listening stem that is something along the lines of, "Did I get that right?" Or "Is that correct? Or is there anything else you want me to know?" This allows the speaker to clarify what was said, to take ownership of the communication, or even to change his/her mind. For example, someone might say, "It's true--I did sound really angry. But now that I think about it, it wasn't so much anger as hurt. I felt really disrespected."
The Key to Active Listening: Empathy
One question I'm often asked about active listening is "How can you do it and not sound like a robot? How can you make it authentic?" I understand this question--when I first started incorporating active listening into my coaching (and into conversations with my husband!) I felt like those "I-hear-that-you..." came sputtering out. I was trying hard to show that I could do this thing and that I'd heard the precise language. But I hadn't quite understood what the whole active listening thing is all about.

Here's the key, the core, the reason why it's so powerful and transformational: Active listening is about empathy. It's not so much about the exact words that you use as the listener, it's about the feeling behind them. It's about who you are being when you use them--are you being a caring, compassionate coach? Or are you being someone who is trying to be right--to get the right sentence stem out of her mouth?

For me, once I'd tackled my own monster judgments, I was truly able to listen to another person and get their message. I learned to manage distractions and stay focused, to listen for the underlying sentiments, and then to find the words--simple ones often work best--to convey that I heard and felt what the speaker was communicating.

When someone actively listens to us with empathy, we feel it. We feel acknowledged and recognized. We feel that the listener has connected with us and seen us. It's a powerful experience.

When a coach (or principal or parent or spouse) uses active listening it can create an opening into other conversations. I've seen this over and over and over again. Coaches who effectively use active listening can guide their coachees into all kinds of conversational explorations--into the scary realm of equity, into conversations about beliefs, and into making big changes in their classrooms. But without using active listening--without verbal ways to express empathy--those conversations struggle.

New coaches often ask me, "What's the one thing I can work on to improve my coaching?" Active listening. It's foundational for building trust and connection between you and your client.

Here's a Active Listening.docx you can print out and carry around with you, or post in a visible location, to remind you of these ideas.

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Active Listening: The Key To Transforming Your Coaching

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I'm just about ready to declare that active listening is the highest priority skill for a coach to master and that it must be mastered prior to success using any other strategy.

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Stoke Deck

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Dead round robin: 1 member of group shares an issue they are having for 2 min without interruption.  Then the others In Greek girl rounds and all have 30 seconds to respond

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Use a menti for

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Use voice recorder to record sessions with teachers to reflect on later and keep in their personal coaching/goal sheet.

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Flipgrid Responses