Active listening is a learned skill. Many of us create our own barriers to truly listening to the other person. Which of these barriers do you recognise in your own behaviour?

• Preconceptions about what is being said and anticipating what will be said.
• Selective attention leading to bias.  We often hear only what we want to hear.
• Impatience, especially if the student teachers are struggling to express themselves clearly, perhaps not in their mother tongue or if the concepts are new.
• Deciding too soon what is irrelevant information and so missing the central messages and patterns in the conversation. Listening requires effort and concentration.
• A distracting physical environment. Find a quiet place, turn off phones and ask not to be disturbed.
• Interrupting while the person is talking.
• Giving advice or offering solutions before the student teacher has finished speaking.
• Responding in emotionally laden language. Emotion may cloud our judgment during the conversation and even silence the student teacher.
• Using inappropriate humour. This could be seen as lacking in empathy.