what does it mean to listen?

What does it mean to listen?

What does it look like to listen?

How does it feel to be listened to?

We began our conversation as a reflection following the read aloud, What Does It Mean To Be Present? This was a book given to our classroom at the start of the school year, a wonderful gift from KC's family.

We focused on the act of listening - what it looks like and how it feels. As a whole group, the Kindergarteners shared their reflections from the story as I wrote their thoughts on large chart paper. Together, we investigated the question; What does it mean to listen?

Later, I invited the children to represent their ideas. While children were independently working, I asked them to tell me about their drawings and writing. I transcribed their words. For some children, their drawings were a representation of a feeling - the green zone, happy, good. It feels good to be listened to. For other children, they processed a difficult feeling through their work - some things don’t feel good to listen to.

For many children, their representations and words are the beginning of a bigger story, a story about community and relationships, a story about learning how to be together, a story we have yet to tell as we are living it now.  

I encourage you to read the children’s transcribed words. Kindergarteners tell their stories in many different ways. Too often we ask children to write their ideas or stories on paper, without taking the time to orally discuss or represent their ideas and stories. The art of oral storytelling is an important skill to practice and explore, to invite and advocate for, to share with our whole learning community.

As with all of our learning, I am amazed at where our conversation has brought us. I am enlightened and excited at where it has brought me - recognizing the importance of transcribing children’s words for us to go back to and revisit. A conversation about understanding what listening really means, has brought me to a place of exploring and investigating the act of storytelling and the role that listening and being present plays in the sharing of our stories.

Aren’t our lives a collection of stories? Our ideas shaped by experiences? What stories will the children tell this year? What kind of connections will we make?

How can we - as teachers and adults - continue to encourage and practice being present? How can we ensure that children have the opportunity to tell their stories and that their peers have the opportunity to listen?