Keep Your Friends Close

Active listening has become procedural. It is a format that is taught in just about every field where the public is involved. Sales, psychology, sociology, education, counseling etc… It has been relegated to the realm of (this is what you do if you want people to feel like they have been heard). Really listening is so much more. Married couples can either get good at really listening, or they get really good at tuning each other completely out. Teachers who constantly complain usually get the obligatory listen (and a roll of the eyes by everyone who is tired of hearing their rant.) The rub is that effective working relationships with parents, program staff, and students are maintained through actively listening, and communicating with all of the stakeholders. Caring about people is the key to working with them. Building relationships can be difficult, but if a parent feels that you care about their child, they are more apt to be happy and positive. Teachers want to be heard also, they want to feel like they are a part of the process, and they want their decisions to matter. Administration needs to actively involve all members of the educational community for the good of the students. I recently had a conversation with a member of the janitorial staff at a school. He reminisced of a time when a former Principal took him to dinner, and announced him as a part of the staff at “Back to School” Night. He told the story as though those days are long gone. He says that now he does his job and he goes home, without any connection to what is going on with the school community. He is one ally I would choose not to lose.