In the age of Twitter Instagram, emails and texting, means of communication are constantly at our disposal. But the act of listening has become a skill we use less and less.

School environments are no exception. Listening allows us insight about each other and about ourselves. When used wisely, thoughtful listening can transform schools and help educators work more collaboratively. And with some deliberate and thoughtful practice, school leaders can improve their listening capacity.

Some school leaders may say, “listening is all I do!” Days spent in meetings, on calls and responding to emails and text messages are all ways that school leaders try to listen to other administrators, teachers, parents and students. But technology does not always provide the most productive means for listening. Email and texting, for example, do not facilitate deeper listening in the same way as face-to-face conversation (or even Zoom calls).

There is no doubt that quality listening takes time and effort. It is a skill that takes practice and can, at times, be difficult to implement. But the long term positive effects that active listening will have on school leaders, teachers, parents and students will be well worth the effort.

Read the full article about listening by Megan Collins at EdSurge.