just listen

I met with Mr. Pitts 5th grade today. We sat in a circle and one at a time told the group something we wanted everyone in the group to know. We practiced nonverbal listening skills. No interrupting, no questions, just nods, and giggles, and sometimes looks of concern. We heard lots of great stories,some silly, some a little gross, some quite sad. When we were done, I asked the students to tell how it felt to tell a story without being interrupted. Many of the kids said good or weird. Alot of them never get to talk without being interrupted.

What a gift we can give our students by being a listening ear.