We hear with our ears, but listening is different. For example, you are listening to my words, but your ears still hear other things happening in our room or around us. As we get older, we learn what things to pay attention to and what things to tune out or keep in the background.
In China, symbols (word drawings) are used to stand for ideas. The symbol called “ting” means “to listen”
It looks like this:
The Chinese believe that to listen, you must use your ears, eyes, and an open heart. Can you find the ear, the eyes, and the heart in this symbol?
How do we listen with our eyes?
What do we mean by listening with our heart (or an open heart)?
Careful listening shows we understand what others say or feel. We call this kind of careful listening
“listening from the heart”
I want you to think about what is it like to share something to the class or a friend.
Do you like them to listen attentively? Do you want them to smile back at you? Do you want them to understand why you are excited, sad, happy, or laughing? Does it feel good to have a friend to share with?
OK, now I want you to think about what it’s like to be telling a story to someone and people are talking or moving around the room when it’s your turn to speak? OR maybe even it’s just you and a friend and people are joking around and you want to be serious.
What words can you use to describe how you feel?
Let’s watch the news videos we made on Friday and see if students were listening from the heart?
Here are some tips we can use to help us listen from the heart:
Watch:
Use your eyes to show you are paying attention, watch facial expressions, look at the person, don’t look around.
Lean in:
Lean your body toward the person a little and nod your head so the person knows you are listening.
Listen Quietly:
Listen to the words a person is saying, don’t interrupt, don’t talk at the same time, listen for facts about what the other person is saying.
Notice Feelings:
Listen to how someone’s voice or expressions tell you about that person’s real feelings. Notice if that matches his or her words.
Ask, Don’t Tell:
Wait until someone stops talking and ask questions to understand what the person meant, don’t give advice or tell about something that happened to you unless the person asks.
Summarize/Restate:
When the person stops talking, say what you think you heard, ask the person to explain parts you didn’t understand.
Don’t Judge:
Don’t jump to conclusions, don’t say someone is wrong, listen to his or her point of view.
Practice Silence:
Listen quietly, don’t thank about what you want to say until the person stops talking.
What did you learn about listening today?
What are examples of ways you show you listn from the heart?
How can listening form the heart help us be better friends?
How many of you think you know how to listen from the heart? LEt’s find out. HEre’s a quiz that will help you think about ow will you listen from the heart. I won’t collect these or see your answers, so answer truthfully.
PLEASE only fill out the one side, we will take the other quiz with a different lesson.
Listen From the HEART QUIZ
This quiz helps us think about how well we listen when other’s talk to us. Most people, even grown-ups, have to practice listening from the heart.
If you answered yes or sometimes to any of the odd numbered questions and no to the even numbered questions these are ways of listening from the heart you need to practice.
Please practice listening form the heart this week with your family, your classmates and friends. Notice whether it makes a difference in how people talk with you. Listening from the heart is something you can do for the rest of your lives.
Are there any other questions or comments?
