Skill: Using Active Listening | Learning Goal: Communication
Grades: 6-8 | Activity Type: Lesson | Purpose: 🟢 Core Instruction
Be Good People Curriculum © St. Croix River Education District
What Makes Someone a “Good Listener”?
Today, we'll talk about the difference between simply hearing someone and showing the person that you're trying to understand what they said.
As he shares “7 signs that you’re a good listener,” pick one of the signs that he talks about. Think of someone you know who shows that sign when you talk to them.
WHY ACTIVE LISTENING SKILLS MATTER: |
✅ It's the polite thing to do when someone else is speaking. ✅ It builds your reputation as a respectful person and helps you to build positive relationships with people. ✅ You are more likely to understand instructions right away and less likely to make mistakes. |
During English class discussion, Maria finds herself thinking about what she wants to say next while her classmate James is sharing his interpretation of the novel. When Ms. Chen asks her to respond to James's point, Maria realizes she only caught fragments of what he said.
How should Maria handle this situation? What’s important to consider?
Try to remember situations where you’ve felt listened to and understood and also situations where that has not been the case. What was the difference?
Picture this!
What about this sounds right? 👍
What details might be missing? 🤔
ROADMAP
TIP #1: |
Avoid checking your phone and other signs that you’re not paying attention to the person you’re talking to. Have you ever talked to someone but you could tell they were distracted and they weren't really listening to you? |
What do you think is the difference between listening to understand and waiting for your turn to talk?
TIP #2: |
You might really want to say something, but it's rude to interrupt people. People don't enjoy talking to people who frequently interrupt them. They get distracted from what they're trying to say because they start to worry about when you're going to interrupt them again. |
DeAndre's friend Carlos is trying to explain why he's upset about something that happened at lunch, but DeAndre keeps checking his phone as notifications pop up. He notices Carlos's voice getting quieter, and when he looks up, his friend is starting to walk away.
Skip to end
Play it out: How would the tips and suggestions that we’ve discussed look in this situation?
Words of wisdom: What advice would help someone handle this situation well?
Heads up: What pitfalls should someone try to avoid in a situation like this? How?
Lessons learned: I’ve been through a similar situation and here’s what I learned from it…
Choose one ⬇
Sarah is working with her science project partner Aisha, who's explaining her ideas for their experiment design. Sarah finds herself nodding automatically while thinking about her soccer game later. When Aisha asks which method she prefers, Sarah has no idea what the options are.
Skip to end
Play it out: How would the tips and suggestions that we’ve discussed look in this situation?
Words of wisdom: What advice would help someone handle this situation well?
Heads up: What pitfalls should someone try to avoid in a situation like this? How?
Lessons learned: I’ve been through a similar situation and here’s what I learned from it…
Choose one ⬇
Malik is getting homework help from his math teacher after school. As she explains how to solve the equation, he starts thinking about how much work he has left to do and misses a key step. When he tries the next problem alone, he realizes he doesn't know what to do next.
Skip to end
Play it out: How would the tips and suggestions that we’ve discussed look in this situation?
Words of wisdom: What advice would help someone handle this situation well?
Heads up: What pitfalls should someone try to avoid in a situation like this? How?
Lessons learned: I’ve been through a similar situation and here’s what I learned from it…
Choose one ⬇
Sofia's younger sister is telling her about a problem she's having with her friends at school. Sofia keeps interrupting with her own similar experiences and solutions, until she notices her sister looking frustrated and saying "You're not listening to what actually happened."
Skip to end
Play it out: How would the tips and suggestions that we’ve discussed look in this situation?
Words of wisdom: What advice would help someone handle this situation well?
Heads up: What pitfalls should someone try to avoid in a situation like this? How?
Lessons learned: I’ve been through a similar situation and here’s what I learned from it…
Choose one ⬇
Nice work! To recap, we learned more about: