Active Listening

CATEGORY: SOCIAL
LEVEL: FOUNDATIONS

Why:

Listening is one of the greatest human powers for connection and closeness. We can all become better listeners with practice.

Warm-Up:

Can you describe a time when someone listened to you really well, and also a time when someone listened really poorly? How did each feel?

Exploration:

Listening well is like a superpower: it helps others trust you, and it lets you deeply understand them. To do it well, we listen in three ways: With our mind, we listen closely to the facts and details shared; With our hearts, we listen to the emotions the speaker seems to be feeling; With our bodies, we notice what is unspoken, such as body language, eye contact, and tone of voice. Try practicing with each other, playing with intentionally bad listening, and also with your best, most active listening. How would you show someone that you're listening?

Additional Resources

For a deeper explanation of active listening, consider the Argonaut Become an Active Listener Challenge, here: https://www.argonaut.school/become-an-active-listener