TOWARD A “PEDAGOGY OF LISTENING”: By Carla Marschall Assistant Head of Infant School and Lynda Scott Head of Infant School Dover Campus
“Real listening requires the suspension of judgments and prejudices. The relationship between peace and prejudice concerns the ability or disability to be good listeners. This is where education for peace begins.” Carlina Rinaldi1 The UWC movement seeks to make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. This lofty goal can appear far removed from the dayto-day experience of our youngest students: what does an education for peace look like for a 4, 5 or 6-yearold child within our Reggio-inspired programme? Professor Carlina Rinaldi, a leading expert in the Reggio Emilia Approach, suggests that the journey toward an education for peace begins with listening. The entire learning community
must adopt a stance of listening to gain perspective, deepen understanding and build strong relationships. When all members of the community begin listening to each other, true and authentic dialogue can begin and an awareness of individual needs can be developed. And with this, the education we provide can truly unify. For these reasons, we took on the role of the student for a day at the beginning of March as part of the Shadow a Student Challenge. Designed by School Retool, IDEO and the d.school at Stanford University, the Shadow a Student Challenge calls on school leaders worldwide to walk in shoes of a student for the day to understand what really happens: in class, on the playground, at lunch. We did this with children in K1 and Grade 1 classrooms, looking to compare and contrast our experiences. We left the day full of thoughts; some were observations, while others were considerations for the future. Emotions and experiences we encountered such as curiosity, doubt and trepidation were embraced as part of the process of listening. Listening occurs not only with our ears, but also with our eyes and hearts. From our experiences, many of our beliefs about what makes a positive, learning-powered school
were reinforced. Here are some of our thoughts from the day.
Belonging and community drive learning Learning occurs when children feel a sense of belonging and a deep attachment to their class communities. Engaging in dialogue in classrooms that promotes a culture of collective learning allows students to tap into their peers as a resources. We encountered this when trying to figure out how things worked as the ‘new child’: without the support of our peers, we would have floundered. When children feel connected to their teachers and their peers, they are more receptive to new ideas and to sharing their thoughts. Emotional connection leads to and supports intellectual connection.
Resilience required Resilience is key to learning. During the day we had to crawl through a ball pit, rebuild broken structures and speak Chinese. As adults, we can forget how varied a child’s learning engagements are during their school day and the importance of selfregulation to regroup after experiencing challenge. We experienced first-hand how an acceptance of challenge and a willingness to be brave are at the heart of being a successful learner.
Rinaldi, C. (2012). “The pedagogy of listening: The listening perspective from Reggio Emilia.” In C. Edwards, L. Gandini & G. Forman (Eds.), The hundred languages of children (3rd ed., pp. 233-246). Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger.
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