Listening
overlooked and undervalued?
Thoughts and musings
One of the main purposes of my weekly glimmers is to shine a light on those moments within the profession which spark joy, curiosity and fulfilment. Yet, identifying areas in education which may get overlooked is also of great importance. Recently, I have been thinking about listening. For a number of reasons. These have ranged from the role which listening plays within the curriculum (including for assessment purposes), listening as a social skill and also listening as a form of acknowledgement.
Within the current British National Curriculum, the development of listening skills is listed underneath the heading of ‘Spoken language’1, referencing the need for a child to:
listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers
maintain attention and participate actively in collaborative conversations
consider and evaluate different viewpoints,
Within the report ‘We need to talk - The report of the Commission on the Future of Oracy Education in England’2 the term ‘listening’ is mentioned regularly, yet this is often attached to its counterpart ‘speaking’, rather than considering the skill of listening in its own right. With a new oracy framework on the way, following recommendations from the 2025 Curriculum and Assessment Review3, this certainly got me thinking.
How often is listening thought about as its own key skill to be developed?
Is the act of listening considered as important (or as powerful) as talk in the classroom?
Ideas and practical suggestions
So, why might it be a helpful suggestion to consider the role listening takes in your classroom and school environment? Below are two ideas which I hope can be actioned with minimal time spent preparing. Think of these as more of a consideration and evaluation of how much time is given to intentionally listening and what the purpose of this listening may be.
Why?
Two simple questions for today’s ideas and practical suggestions. Firstly, why might thinking more about the role which listening takes within your school environment be so important? And, why might listening not always be at the forefront of our minds?
Schools are busy places. Busy in terms of having a finite amount of time in a day/week/term/year to achieve all that is hoped for. But, also busy when considering how much content there is to teach. The recent Curriculum and Assessment Review4 in England heard from a large number of educators that they felt the current national curriculum is overloaded with content. This creates a pressure to deliver, which impacts on time.
So, why does time need to be made for listening, to both pupils, colleagues and members of the wider school community?
Having a valued voice is integral for cultivating feelings of belonging. Do take a look at the valuable work of Mary Myatt, Rachel Higginson, Christian Foley and Emmanuel Awoyelu at ‘Finding My Voice’ for further thought on this.5 Belonging breeds community. When pupils, staff and wider stakeholders feel that they can share their thoughts and opinions and that these will be valued and held space for, collective responsibility and action arise. When voicing an idea turns to action, members of the community see that they are contributing to making a difference. Words hold power, yet the power is often placed with the person listening - and what this person does with the information they receive.
Listening breaks down barriers. Recording ideas using a written format may limit the freedom, flow and depth of a response for some pupils. Creating an intentional space, and using a committed listening ear, to really hear what children think can allow you to gain a more authentic understanding of what they know, what they feel and what they wonder.
Listening links to mattering. If you missed my full post on what ‘mattering’ is, you can find it here (revisit ‘Mattering: the importance of feeling valued and ‘seen’.) Really listening to what pupils share with you - and remembering and revisiting it. Reading between the lines when colleagues share how their day has gone, or updates on their lives beyond the school gates. This listening can really make a difference.
2. When?
It may seem obvious to think about when we listen. Yet, when examined in more detail, there can be a disconnect between passive and active listening. With this ‘glimmer’ offering a focused point for consideration, it can be helpful to evaluate when you may intend to ensure that you are listening with intention, and in turn what you may glean from the information which you receive.
So, when can active listening be woven into the school day, without it feeling like this becomes another thing to do?
Leave intentional time to listen within lessons. When curriculum content feels overloaded, there can be the tendency to feel that it needs to be ‘completed’. This is, in itself, a whole other glimmer (while you wait for this to emerge, you may be interested in revisiting: Coverage over Creativity?) There is a real danger here that the ‘learning’ is speeded up and task completion is held in higher regard than leaving time and space for talk. Yet when these opportunities for talk are created, and held with purpose, here is where you can really listen to what the children are sharing.
Create opportunities for different types of talk. Again, a previous ‘glimmer’ to reference for further detail (Talk Partners) but the crux of it is, the more varied opportunities for talk, the more likely you are to create habit and comfort for most pupils to open up into these spaces. Sensitivity and an understanding of your individual pupils’ needs is important here.
Understand that listening is a skill. Moving into these curated talk-centred situations also requires you, and any other additional adults, to be aware of why you are listening to the talk and what you might be listening for. Think about where adults are positioned. Sometimes the talk you may be listening to is done in a group. How can you be an active listener without the children feeling like you are listening in? Will you take notes? How can you use what you have heard within the conversation to signpost ideas and move thinking forward when you come back together as a class?
Listening linked to wellbeing. For pupils and staff members. Creating safe and supportive spaces where everyone within the school environment can share their thoughts, ideas and feelings. Nurturing a culture in trust (both within the self and as part of a group, be that for pupils with their peers or staff members with their colleagues).
