How do we make students listen to each other?

“Students don’t listen to each other. They talk over each other. When we have discussions, they wait for me to repeat things and then just respond to me, not to the student who said it.” - says Jim Scrivener in his book “Classroom Management Techniques.”

Have you ever noticed how your students answer the questions and debate with each other?

In many classrooms, the only person anyone listens or interacts with is the teacher. Many students may speak, but the others can’t hear or don’t listen. However, to get a real buzz of communication in the room, we need to make sure that our students not only speak but also listen to and respond to each other, not only via the teacher.

 To achieve mindful listening in the classroom, several techniques can change the behaviour of our students:

 1. Walking away

When a student talks quietly the natural reaction of a teacher is to walk closer and listen from a short distance. It may help you, as a teacher to listen to the answer but does nothing with the comprehension of the whole class. To avoid this situation, do the opposite. Move further away from a speaker, while maintaining eye contact and you may ask to “say it again”.

 2. Avoiding echo

Echoing happens a lot among teachers, it’s repeating the speaker’s words and asking others’ opinions about that thought. As a result, nobody listens to the speaking student, as the teacher always repeats his/her words right after the speech ends. To cut your echo, instead of repeating the speaker’s words, thank them and ask other students in class to show their opinion toward their classmate’s thoughts.

 3. Attention shift

When a student talks over another, turn briefly to the interrupter and calmly let them know that he/she is talking over his classmate and then turn back avoiding any disagreement or further discussion. Give your full attention to the speaker.

4. Speaking to the whole class

When a student speaks, perhaps quietly and directed at you, try gesturing in a way that indicates “Don’t just tell me, but tell the whole class”. This could be one arm held out in a sweeping movement, palm flat, to indicate the other students in the room.

 5. Intentional deafness

When you ask a question in class, one or more faster and louder students may shout out an answer, even if you have specifically named another student to respond. In such situations try to intentionally not to hear their answer, as accepting their answer is disrespectful toward their classmate, who is asked to reply.

 
Creating a culture of mindful listening in the classroom is a vital step toward fostering meaningful communication among students. These strategies not only ensure that every student feels heard but also build essential listening skills that extend beyond the classroom. 

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