The information in these slides was presented on Monday, June 24, 2019 during ISTE's 2019 EdTech Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by Melissa Henning, Manager, K12 Education Content, The Source for Learning, Inc. Become a more effective coach with active listening strategies: increase teachers' level of trust in you, your ability to help them, and their comfort level with working together. The content in these slides will help you gain a deeper understanding of why active listening is a necessary skill for edtech coaches and share strategies to improve your own active listening skills.

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5. STANDARDS ADDRESSED
• CONTENT KNOWLEDGE AND PROFESSIONAL
GROWTH: TECHNOLOGY COACHES
DEMONSTRATE PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE,
SKILLS AND DISPOSITION IN CONTENT,
PEDAGOGICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL AREAS AS
WELL AS ADULT LEARNING AND LEADERSHIP AND
ARE CONTINUOUSLY DEEPENING THEIR
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE.
• 6B AND 6C
• PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRAM
EVALUATION: TECHNOLOGY COACHES CONDUCT
NEEDS ASSESSMENTS, DEVELOP TECHNOLOGY-
RELATED PROFESSIONAL LEARNING PROGRAMS
AND EVALUATE THE IMPACT ON INSTRUCTIONAL
PRACTICE AND STUDENT LEARNING.
• 4A

6. WHAT IS ACTIVE LISTENING?
• LISTENING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOL IN
YOUR COACHING TOOLBOX
• LISTENING MATTERS

7. WHAT IS ACTIVE LISTENING?
THE ABILITY OR HABIT TO
LISTEN WITH FULL
CONCENTRATION USING ALL
OF YOUR SENSES.
THE ACT OF BEING MINDFUL
WHEN YOU LISTEN AND
ATTEMPTING TO
UNDERSTAND THE MEANING
OF WORDS SPOKEN.
LISTENING TO BE OF SERVICE
TO OTHERS’ AGENDAS AND
NEEDS, NOT JUST LISTENING
TO GIVE A RESPONSE.

10. A - Attention and Attend to your Body Language
C - Clarify and Confirm
T - Take Your Time - SLOW DOWN
I - Ignore Distractions
V - Verbal Cues
E - Engage
TIPS FOR ACTIVE LISTENING

11. A - Attention and Attend to your Body Language
C - Clarify and Confirm
T - Take Your Time - SLOW DOWN
I - Ignore Distractions
V - Verbal Cues
E - Engage
TIPS FOR ACTIVE LISTENING

12. A - Attention and Attend to your Body Language
• Pay attention when you listen
• Stay focused
• Attend to your Body Language
• Lean towards the person speaking (face the person)
• Make eye contact
• Avoid crossing your arms
TIPS FOR ACTIVE LISTENING

13. A - Attention and Attend to your Body Language
What does this look like?
• Looking directly at the teacher.
• Keeping your eyes focused on the teacher, don’t look around the room.
• No fidgeting
• No frowns or scowling, smiling goes a long way!
PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATIONS

14. A - Attention and Attend to your Body Language
What does this sound like?
• Positive voice tone
• Words of affirmation and positivity
• The tone of your voice can show support, stress, and frustration.
PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATIONS

15. A - Attention and Attend to your Body Language
What does this feel like?
• Warm and friendly
• Welcoming
PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATIONS

16. A - Attention and Attend to your Body Language
C - Clarify and Confirm
T - Take Your Time - SLOW DOWN
I - Ignore Distractions
V - Verbal Cues
E - Engage
TIPS FOR ACTIVE LISTENING

17. C - Clarify and Confirm
• Ask clarifying questions
• Paraphrase in your own words
• Confirm that you are understanding
TIPS FOR ACTIVE LISTENING

18. C - Clarify and Confirm
What does this look like?
• Nod your head to confirm
understanding.
PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATIONS

19. C - Clarify and Confirm
What does this sound like?
• Asking the teacher what you can do
to help to make things more clear.
• Asking the teacher any questions to
be sure you understand their needs.
• Paraphrasing the needs.
PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATIONS

20. C - Clarify and Confirm
What does this feel like?
• The teacher feels heard and
understood.
PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATIONS

21. A - Attention and Attend to your Body Language
C - Clarify and Confirm
T - Take Your Time - SLOW DOWN
I - Ignore Distractions
V - Verbal Cues
E - Engage
TIPS FOR ACTIVE LISTENING

22. T - Take Your Time - SLOW DOWN
• Don’t rush the conversation
• Watch your tone
• Make sure that you answer the teacher’s questions
• When replying to emails
• Slow down
• Reread the email before you send
• Check the tone of your words
TIPS FOR ACTIVE LISTENING

23. T - Take Your Time - SLOW DOWN
What does this look like?
• Eyes on the teacher, not your clock or to-do list.
• Focus and words are on the teacher’s needs, not other
tasks needing your attention.
• People are engaged while talking and building a trusting
relationship.
PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATIONS

24. T - Take Your Time - SLOW DOWN
What does this sound like?
• Overall sound and feel is relaxed and in the moment.
• Voice speed is at a regular, not rapid, rate.
PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATIONS

25. T - Take Your Time - SLOW DOWN
What does this feel like?
• Slowing down makes the teachers feel they can trust you
and they matter. They don’t feel rushed.
PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATIONS

26. A - Attention and Attend to your Body Language
C - Clarify and Confirm
T - Take Your Time - SLOW DOWN
I - Ignore Distractions
V - Verbal Cues
E - Engage
TIPS FOR ACTIVE LISTENING

27. I - Ignore Distractions
• Block out distractions
• Do NOT take your phone (if you must, be sure the ringer is off)
• Don’t glance away
• Remember to stay focused – attention matters!
• To build trust, the teacher must feel heard.
TIPS FOR ACTIVE LISTENING

28. I - Ignore Distractions
What does this look like?
• Set-up a specific time to meet. Honor that time by showing up
on time.
• Designate office hours for teachers to sign-up at their
convenience for in-person tech help.
• Post the schedule on your door, so others know not to disturb.
PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATIONS

29. I - Ignore Distractions
What does this sound like?
• Silent, except for conversation.
• Go beyond just avoiding your phone. Also, turn off email
notifications or anything that could divert your attention away
from the teacher that you are coaching.
PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATIONS

30. I - Ignore Distractions
What does this feel like?
• Appreciated! Coaches show the teacher that the teacher’s
time is valuable and appreciated by avoiding the phone, email
notifications, and other distractions.
PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATIONS

31. A - Attention and Attend to your Body Language
C - Clarify and Confirm
T - Take Your Time - SLOW DOWN
I - Ignore Distractions
V - Verbal Cues
E - Engage
TIPS FOR ACTIVE LISTENING

32. V - Verbal Cues
• Use verbal cues (not just body language)
• Try your best to remember details
• Reiterate something mentioned by the teacher
• It is okay not to remember everything, but try to remember some
• Ask questions to the teacher during your talk
• By asking questions you show that you are paying attention and actively
listening
TIPS FOR ACTIVE LISTENING

33. V - Verbal Cues
What does this look like?
• Create an online “notes” area using any tool
that works for you (Google Keep, Padlet, Docs,
Lino, NoteJoy, etc..). Use this area to keep simple
notes about meetings, needs, and other
important details that you don’t want to forget.
PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATIONS

34. V - Verbal Cues
What does this sound like?
• Remembering details can be tough. Take notes!
• Verbal affirmation and questioning show your
engagement in the conversation.
PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATIONS

35. V - Verbal Cues
What does this feel like?
• Simply put, the teacher feels heard!
• Our non-verbal body language is important, as
are our words we use to communicate.
PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATIONS

36. A - Attention and Attend to your Body Language
C - Clarify and Confirm
T - Take Your Time - SLOW DOWN
I - Ignore Distractions
V - Verbal Cues
E - Engage
TIPS FOR ACTIVE LISTENING

37. E – Engage
4 Ways You Can Engage
1. Be Present – keep your mind clear and stay focused
2. Minimize possible distractions (i.e. phones)
3. Give those cues that you are listening both verbal and non-verbal cues
4. Reflect (or ask questions) to clarify
TIPS FOR ACTIVE LISTENING

38. E – Engage
What does this look like?
• Engagement looks like relationship-building conversations and actions.
• As a coach, relationships and trust matter the most.
• Engagement during your meetings will go a long way in teachers being
comfortable with approaching you in the future.
PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATIONS

39. E – Engage
What does this sound like?
• You hear productive noise. The noise could include note-taking, questions,
encouragement, and more.
• You don’t hear awkward silence. Coaches should keep the conversation moving.
PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATIONS

40. E – Engage
What does this feel like?
• Engagement helps teachers to feel like they are all part of the same team. The
coaches are there to help, when needed, and offer support.
PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATIONS

41. WHY DOES IT MATTER?
• LISTENING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOL IN YOUR COACHING TOOLBOX.
• TEACHERS TRUST TECH COACHES MORE WHEN THEY FEEL HEARD.
• ACTIVE LISTENING IS BENEFICIAL AS A COACH, TEACHER, PARENT, FRIEND, AND FOR EVERYONE.
• THIS IS A LIFE-SKILL THAT MAKES THOSE SPEAKING FEEL MORE VALUED, HEARD, AND RESPECTED.

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