In a previous post, I explored the idea of cultivating the art of listening with children and illustrated my experiences with Isabel, Felix and Zoe.
In choosing a goal to focus on in my practice I choose to explore the idea of practicing a pedagogy of listening. At this time this term was new to me, as was the philosophy of learning that I was exploring. With the help of the internet (thank you technology) what I found helped me to construct a basic idea of this concept.
I remember something in my reading that struck me and has become part of my personal philosophy. I cannot recall the source, but the instructors discussed a provocation they would offer to explore the idea of building with the children. I remember the caution that the teachers displayed and the patience to wait and introduce the idea “when and if the time was right”.
This highlighted the aspects of a co-constructed classroom where the needs and ideas of the children were respected and the teachers listened to the children not just in the act of listening with one's ears but with their eyes, the movements and the dialogue and ideas that the children were developing. I began to actively listen to the children's ideas, watch their movements and try to interpret what the children were communicating and expressing through art and their exploration of the world. With this insight I began to offer experiences in the hopes of extending their explorations.
The Pedagogy of listening revisited..
Carlina Rinaldi (1995-1998) describes two aspects of the pedagogy of listening as “...the metaphor for having the openness and sensitivity to listen and be listened to-listening not just with our ears, but with all our senses (sight, touch, smell, taste, orientation). Listening to the hundred, the thousand languages symbols and codes we use to express ourselves to communicate...Listening as time...- a time full of silences, of long pauses, an interior time...(p. 65).
As an educator developing and practicing our pedagogy of listening challenges us to listen to the many "multi-modal" ways that a child communicates and expresses themselves (B. Matheison, personal communication, October 2010). This may be through verbal language, silence, American Sign Language (ASL), painting, playing, making music, dancing and the list it seems is infinite not unlike a “thousand languages” (Rinaldi, 1995-1998, p. 65).
Zoe in my previous post taught me the value of using my pedagogy of listening to truly understand.
“ It takes practice to look and listen attentively. You must suspend for a moment any agenda you might have for what the children should be doing . Instead, put yourself in their shoes to understand and experience from their point of view” (Curtis & Carter, 2008, p. 96).
References
Curtis. D.; Carter, M. (2008). Learning together with young children. St. Paul, Minnesota: Redleaf Press.
Rinaldi, C. (2006). In Dialogue with Reggio Emilia listening , researching and learning. New York: Routledge.
“It takes practice to look and listen attentively. You must suspend for a moment any agenda you might have for what the children should be doing. Instead, put yourself in their shoes to understand and experience from their point of view” (Curtis & Carter, 2008, p. 96)
ReplyDeleteThe more I understand the pedagogy of listening, the more challenging that it is for me. I have been making a great effort to be present with the children and it has been a great first step to practice the pedagogy of listening.
After having constructed more thoughts around child development, Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP), racism issues, and gender issues in the course of EDUC 350, I have found many obstacles that I developed in my lenses. How can I truly listen to children’s hundreds of languages with such lenses?
Your post made me think the importance of opening to change and removing obstacle in my lenses and connect my learning in the course of EDUC 350. Thanks.
Thanks for your response. I think that this advanced child development class has disrupted many of the “truths” that exist and are still prevalent throughout the world. Many of the discussions we have engaged in have challenged my beliefs and “I am still provoked by the thought that opposing ideas that construct my theory and my practice are not aligned” (C. Lawson, personal communication, November, 21, 2010). I am thankful for this disruption but I am weighed with a new sense of responsibility and agency to challenge myself to think more critically.
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