Weekly Reading Reflection on Chapter 9 for the week of March 26

My goal: To talk less and listen more.

My Objectives: (Attitudinally based)
a. To really listen to what the other person has to say
b. To make conversations less about me and more about them


My Methods:
I find that when I'm in a conversation with someone, I'm always thinking about how what they're saying relates to my life. This week, I tried to do a lot less of that. I tried to stop selfishly trying to make the conversation about me and make sure I was really listening to what the other person had to say. I tried to ask a lot of open-ended questions and pay close attention to the answer. This reflects my learning style because I learn best by practing how to do things. This week, I practiced how to listen.

Assessment:
I feel that by listening more to people this week, I learned a lot about the people I talked to. Most of the people I practiced listening to were people I felt I knew quite well, and I can think of several examples of friendships that grew stronger this week. Knowing this, I will continue to make a more conscious effort to listen more closely to people when they speak instead of trying to make a conversation more about me.

Reflection:
Woolfolk has a few things to say about keeping lines of communication open. First, on page 321, she gives the example of the student who comes in late to class. This student has many visible tattoos and piercings, and the teacher immediately forms an opinion of him and reacts cooly to his entrance. The student becomes resentful, thinking this school will be just like his last one. If the teacher had only kept an open mind despite the student's tardiness and appearance, perhaps he or she could have provided him with a valuable learning experience. Woolfolk also addresses the importance of teachers listening on page 329, while discussing inquiry and how it aids the learning process. In short, she says that teachers who lecture in their classroom tend to be much less effective than teachers who allow students to learn on their own by asking carefully selected questions and answering any questions the students may have on the subject. It makes sense. I know that I remember things a lot better when someone helps me figure them out than when someone just tells me.