“Listening attentively” means to listen carefully, giving your full attention to the speaker. It refers to not only listening but also listening to and understanding the motivations and emotions that the other person is trying to convey, as well as giving feedback to the other person based on what they are saying. It is often easy to listen to other people’s stories when talking with others, but it is not easy to understand others’ thoughts and sympathize with others’ feelings. “The person who speaks the best is not the person who speaks logically, but the person who listens to others well.” American Talk Show Legend Larry King talked about the importance of listening as follows. This word emphasizes that in order to have a good conversation, listening must be the most basic. Then, what is the reason “Listening attentively” is important. I can find the answer while doing student practice.

  The student practice, in which I participated this month, was not only an opportunity to learn schoolwork and teaching methods but also an excellent chance to think seriously about “how to become a good teacher.” Activities such as “class council” and “class circle” were the most helpful. The “class council” is an activity to observe classes and share their thoughts on the class with members of the school community. Such as fellow teachers and parents who attended the class gave feedback to each other to make the course better. I spent time listening to a class and talking about it. Each person took turns to talk about their opinions about the type, and then discuss each matter. While observing a class, I wondered why the teacher made students read single paragraphs out loud in turn. When I asked about it, to predecessor teacher , she told me that it has a much more effective “learning effect” when they read it with their ears and eyes. It was something I didn’t even think about.

  We spent time giving feedback to each other by talking about what parts we wanted to modify or add to the class materials. After the correction, it seemed that the student’s understanding was much better, and I was able to confirm in person that listening to each other’s opinions and giving feedback had a great impact on the results.

  “Class Circle” is a time to sit around with fellow teachers in a circle and talk and listen to them one by one about “stories about classes,” “desirable teacher image,” and “what I want to make up for in class.” Among the topics of the council, we talked about the parts that I want to be supplemented or find lacking in class, and each of them shared ideas that I had never thought about.

  Not only was I able to expand my perspective more while listening to my fellows, but I also realized what I had missed. In addition, several diverse thoughts and opinions made the class better. And most of all, in the process of thinking about listening to the other person’s story and giving feedback, I was able to think that I couldn’t think of before listening to them.

  Listening attentively is not as difficult as you might think. I took a lecture on “Listening Posture,” and afterward I had the opportunity to look back on my posture of conversation. First, the mindset is important. The most important thing when you start something is the mindset.

  Having a mindset of “I’m ready to listen” is the most basic attitude to listening. After being prepared to listen, you should express to the other person that you are ready to listen. First, when the other person talks, you must look them in the eyes while listening. This can be seen as the most basic way to show “I’m focusing on you.” 

  It should be a two-way conversation. When the other person tells a story, asking an appropriate question can also be a measure to show that I am concentrating on the other person’s story. However, it is important to refrain as much as possible from making hasty predictions about the other person’s story. Finally, it is important to hear the other person’s story to the end.

  We live by having countless conversations with someone in our lives. However, just as each person has different characteristics, there are differences in each way of communication. However, maybe we all want to talk to someone who listens to us well and empathizes with us when we talk to others. Then, why don’t we become such people first? I recommend to talk this opportunity to think about your conversation style and develop the habit of listening attentively.