Listening Deeply Strategy

The more students practice active listening without being in a two-way conversation, the more they’ll come to value showing interest when someone is speaking, try to understand their thoughts and feelings, and make them feel heard. The personal nature of the listening prompts also sets the stage for student sharing, which can build trust and connection in the classroom.

There are many approaches to good listening, and this lesson centers around three primary skills: engaged body language, true focus, and expressing empathy.

With this light-lift strategy, students will practice being active, authentic listeners with a partner — listening to make the speaker feel heard and without the need to reciprocate the conversation, but rather, to better understand and communicate with the speaker. By speaking for up to a few minutes, speakers will also get more comfortable sharing about themselves and expressing vulnerability.

Download Listening Deeply (PDF)

Last reviewed May 2024.

Overview
For: Educators, counselors, peer leaders, and anyone who works with youth
Ages: K-12
Resource Type: Strategy
Time Commitment: 1x/week; 5 times in total