The famous story in Indian mythology related to the Mahabharata is worth citing here, as I feel it not only gives us a glimpse of two highly intellectual minds but also translates the very essence of this essay. It goes like this:
After rendering excellent intellectual services to the world through the massive compilation of Vedic texts and the creation of Puranas, Maharshi Ved Vyas took up the task of writing the Epic of Mahabharata (Initially known as the poem ‘Jay’). He required the assistance of some equally capable hand to be the scripter of this massively lengthy poem. Lord Ganesha was the most suitable one to perform this task. When approached with this proposal, Ganesha agreed to be the scripter on the condition that Vyas should not stop while dictating. Though it was a very difficult condition, as the creative process involved rigorous thinking, imagination employment, rhyme invention, and metrical perfections, Vyas agreed to it. But he also laid down his condition that Ganesha must not write down even a single word without understanding it. This is how the great epic was created.
This is the best instance of how ‘listening’ as a skill is essential. Listening involves the act of lending ears to what is being said around. Basically, ‘Hearing’ is not ‘Listening’. Listening is the act of reception. If Ganesha wants to be fluent in scripting Vyasa’s dictation, he must intently listen to whatever Vyas says.
A good listener does not let his/her attention waver from the flow of whatever is being said. It empowers him/her to interpret the information correctly and analyse the situation critically. Moreover, it also involves collecting the ‘non-verbal’ cues that are far more expressive than the mere words that carry the message.
Wherever any conversation occurs, whatever situation demands one’s response, ‘good listening’ skills become essential. Psychology professor Michael P. Nichols begins the ‘Introduction’ of his famous book The Lost Art of Listening, “Nothing hurts more than the sense that people we care about aren’t really listening.”
We take it as a natural process that doesn’t require much attention. The fact is that we are not as effective listeners as we think we are. Hence, let us consider it a crucial attribute in becoming good and effective teachers, especially English Language Teachers.
Some would consider it an impossible task as there are many students and few classes. But it is not impossible. A student is, after all, a potential learner who needs just one ignition of careful consideration and compassionate treatment from the teacher’s side. A good teacher deeply understands students’ needs, concerns, and ideas.
By lending ears to the student’s responses and letting them speak by making them feel comfortable, a teacher creates an ideally inclusive and effective learning environment in his/ her class. It has been proved that students who feel heard and understood are more likely to be motivated and engaged in the learning process.
Attentive listening empowers the teacher with the vision to navigate the teaching exercise. He/she can easily identify areas where students require additional support, providing targeted feedback that enhances student growth.
Moreover, as students, we remember having urges to bunk the class or keep aloof from whatever was being taught or discussed. As adults, if we analyse that situation, we would find that they were the classes where you were not allowed to speak, or the teacher focused the attention only on the chosen few, and the others were merely neglected. Thus, as teachers, we must be careful not to be trapped in such faulty practices. On the contrary, good listening skills promote a positive classroom atmosphere, encouraging open communication, respect, and empathy among students.
In academic speeches, there is often an emphasis on making your teaching innovative. The teacher who listens well will definitely find innovative ideas from the feedback he collects from the class because the student’s perspectives and insights contain maximum clues for innovations.
In conclusion, being an attentive listener is the teacher’s responsibility. It will create a supportive, student-centered learning environment, improving academic outcomes, enhancing student well-being, and making the class a dynamic place. The acid test to this is my question: “Who were your favourite teachers when you were students?” The teachers that come to your mind are those who listened to you, in whose presence you felt comfortable and confident, and who helped you realize your potential. Let us try to be like them.
Bells and whistles:
Sometimes, the teachers are also heard mistakenly by the students….
I was listening to my son do his math homework at the kitchen table
And then all of a sudden, he said 3+6, the son of a b !tch is 9, and then he said 2+5, the son of a b!tch is 7, so I said, what are you saying, son?!
He said, but my teacher showed us how to do Math, and that’s what she said...so just to make sure, I was like, OK, go on. He said 2+2 the son of a b!tch is 4! I said OK. Shocked and startled, I left the room and called the teacher. I said, “Hello, are you teaching our children Math saying 2+2 the son of a bi!tch is 4?”
It got real quiet, then she started laughing...She said, “Sir what I said is 2+2 THE SUM OF WHICH is 4!”
Post a Comment