When we do this, the speaker often feels disrespected or unappreciated. They see us with a far off look in our eyes or glancing at our watch. Their train of thought is interrupted when we jump into the conversation thinking we are connecting or worse yet think we know what they are going to say.
Yesterday I was getting ideas to use in my first grade classroom and came across a download on how to teach 6 year olds to listen with their whole bodies. WOW! What a great skill to give to children at this age. I will be one happy teacher if I have a classroom of real listeners!
The download is from Kathleen Pederson (who blogs at growingkinders.blogspot.com - She gives away and sells her creations for teachers at teacherspayteachers.com also). It is about using a little monster story to teach manners and adapts the concept from books on Whole Body Listening from Think Social Publishing with a cute little monster learning to listen with its head, heart, eyes, hands, feet, ears & brain. I can’t wait to try this with my class!
Then today, my DailyOm horoscope was Listen with Your Eyes. How perfect!
Here is just a clip. For the whole article go to DailyOm.
Perhaps today you can practice paying greater attention in your interactions by making an effort to not interrupt, interject, or add your opinions when talking to someone else….. Using our eyes to focus on another person means that we use more than just our ears to listen. Not only do they show we are fully present but our eyes allow us to sense emotional, psychological, and spiritual aspects of our interaction…., your interactions will become more attentive and full of greater awareness and empathy for others.
How will you listen today?