Purpose

“Fred Rogers, of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood fame, defined listening as the “very active awareness of the coming together of at least two lives” (Great Books Foundation). Specifically, students engage in active listening when they are “fully focused on understanding what the person speaking is saying.” As discussed in an Edutopia article, active listening helps students tune in to the speaker’s nonverbal cues and the deeper meanings of what a speaker is trying to say. It helps to foster connection and facilitate discussion on contentious topics.

Directions (adapted from Edutopia and Great Books Foundation):

1. Note: this activity can be completed on its own or in tandem with another C-SPAN Classroom Deliberation activity, such as the Fishbowl Discussion.
2. Remind students of the deliberation question.
3. Share with your students that the class will engage in an open-ended group active listening discussion. Reiterate that while different views will be discussed, there might not be an answer or consensus reached – and that is okay!
4. Set explicit guidelines and norms, including having students:
   1. Look at the speaker while they speak, closely paying attention to what they say and their nonverbal cues.
   2. Maintain good posture.
   3. Wait a few seconds before speaking after someone else has finished speaking, as this helps to suspend judgement and better understand what was just said.
   4. Not raise hands, talking, whisper, or do anything else that is distracting while someone else is speaking.
   5. Note: Model the guidelines and norms, as needed.
5. Have a student begin the discussion about the deliberation topic, sharing what they believe is the answer to the question and why.. 
6. Have other students join the free-flowing discussion as they desire. They may:
   1. Summarize what they heard, using the speaker’s words or their own, as this confirms a desire to truly understand, build trust, and provide more opportunities for the speaker to clarify or extend.
   2. Verbalize the feelings that they perceive the speaker is having as valuable.
   3. Share their own perspectives regarding the question, noting similarities or differences with others’ views.
   4. Ask for others’ input regarding next steps or solutions.
7. As the discussion continues, have all students engage in a form of peer accountability. This can include, but is not limited to:
   1. Requiring students to track the discussion by recording key points of what was said.
   2. Having students write down all questions they intend to ask during the conversation.
   3. Assigning students to record how and when their peers did or did not use appropriate active listening skills.
8. Reflect by having students record what they learned and how their perspective has changed and why, if at all.