Listening to Teach: Beyond Didactic Pedagogy

2016 Society of Professors of Education Outstanding Book Award, presented by the Society of Professors of Education First book to offer a survey of pedagogical listening in conventional and alternative methodologies. What happens when teachers step back from didactic talk and begin to listen to their students? After decades of neglect, we are currently witnessing a surge of interest in this question. Listening to Teach features the leading voices in the recent discussion of listening in education. These contributors focus close attention on the key role of teachers as they move away from didactic talk and begin to devise innovative pedagogical strategies that encourage active listening by teachers and also cultivate active listening skills in learners. Twelve teaching approaches are explored, from Reggio Emilia’s project method and Paulo Freire’s pedagogy of the oppressed to experiential learning and philosophy for children. Each chapter offers a brief explanation of one of these approaches—its background, the problems it aims to resolve, the educators who have pioneered it, and its treatment of listening. The chapters conclude with ideas and suggestions drawn from these pedagogies that may be useful to classroom teachers. “…Waks’s volume serves as an intelligent call to focus on the frequently ignored but absolutely fundamental role of listening in teaching … Those who study teaching and learning, facilitate educator development, or participate in teaching practice across disciplines and professions will find this collective volume engaging, challenging, and generative.” — Educational Theory Leonard J. Waks is Professor Emeritus of Educational Leadership at Temple University and the author of Education 2.0: The Learningweb Revolution and the Transformation of the School.