“I am limited to asking probing or clarifying questions and keeping track of time. You will discuss the first six questions. Please do not raise your hands. Instead, find polite entry points into the conversation. Please try to contribute at least once. Please monitor your mic time. Go.”

After discussing the first six questions in smaller groups, we came together to discuss them as a class. Above were the parameters of our discussion. Intentionally, I “stayed out of it.” I want the kids talking, and though I want some structure to the conversation, I also want there to be some room for them to explore and address the organic elements of discussion, so I give them some freedom. As such, there were some messy moments, but overall the kids pulled it together, and they engaged in a respectful, thoughtful conversation about voice and listening, using the questions as their guide. Admittedly, it was hard for me to “stay out of it,” but, as always, I am glad I did. I learn so much from my little rock stars when I give them the stage. I am learning to listen as they are learning to speak. No coincidence, that. It’s part of the plan with this unit. I want them to find their voices. Can’t happen if I am doing the talking. So, I listen. I am finding my ears.

And as I listen, I try to find teachable moments that I can use after the conversation to direct our learning. One such moment came from question one.

What is the difference between being heard and being listened to?

I tuned in a bit during their small group discussions–can’t help it, and I was a little surprised by the two differing views here. So, when we got to the full-class discussion, I was not surprised that the two views surfaced again, in all five of my classes. The kids were split in about half on their interpretations of the difference between listening and hearing. Both sides made their cases, I asked probing and clarifying questions, and yet there still remained some disagreement between the two camps. The kids kept looking to me to set it straight, but I stayed out of it. Today I will step into it, and we will clarify for the sake of our work with this project what the differences are.

And while I thought the distinction would be obvious, there was a large number of kids who found “being heard” as heeding what someone says, flipflopping what many of us consider a conventional difference between the two. At first, I was like, “really?” But as I listened, I learned, and I think I know why a good many kids hold to this notion. In popular culture, they hear the expressions, “I want to be heard,” I don’t feel heard,” “We will be heard,” etc. Of course, this can be translated into, “I want to be understood.” Thus, I came to understand how they were confusing the two. Today, using information from an Article I found, we will clarify the differences, but in that clarification, I will honor the kids who pushed “being heard,” letting them I know I understand where their thinking came from.

Of course in my probing, a few of my favorite questions were, “Do kids get in trouble for not listening or not hearing?” or “Do you want your future significant other to hear you or listen to you?” Ah, kids. Today, we will clear things up a bit. I want them to find their voices, but they have to find their ears, too. I want them to discover that if we want to be understood, we have to learn to understand, so that when we speak, we say something worth listening to. Anyone can open their mouth and be heard. I want them to speak their voices and change the world.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…do a “Credibility through Convention” entry task (I’ll explain tomorrow).

…continue and complete our discussion on voice/

…email learning reports home to parents.

…reflect in our Journey Journals.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Tuesday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.