Wholehearted Listening

# Intention

You want to deeply understand what you are learning from your experiments.

# Situation

The interpersonal dynamics within any classroom or school building are complex. There is often a lot of energy spent just keeping focus so that a learning experience doesn’t feel like it is spinning out of control. When you are focused on managing this complexity, it is difficult to listen to the different voices in the room. You sense, however, that there are important insights from a new learning experience, particularly when you are seeking to fulfill your commitment to equity.

# Action

Make time during and after the experiment to observe, listen, question and reflect. This is one of the most overlooked, yet valuable steps of experimentation because it is where we gain deeper insights into why something worked or didn’t.

As you ask others about their experience, listen for words that describe their feelings and probe further to truly understand the essence of what they are saying. Look for clues from their eyes, expressions and body language that makes you want to know more. A moment of deep listening to those whose voices are often unheard in the classroom is profoundly validating and becomes the gateway to deeper insight. You may find the 3x3 Reflection valuable.

Related Patterns

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