Through my Tutor feedback following my teaching observation, Tim Stephens gave me invaluable and in-depth observations, through our dialogue. He cited Carl Rogers, on becoming a person + ‘being fully present’ in humanistic therapy. This led me to the following video on YouTube: Carl Rogers Empathic Listening (https://youtu.be/2dLsgpHw5x0)
Below is a transcript I wrote from the video of particular significance to me, for it aligns with the power of listening in a tutor-student 121 Tutorial setting.
“We should re-examine + re-evaluate that very special way of being with another person which we call empathic. I believe we tend to give too little importance + consideration to an element which is extremely important in the understanding of personality dynamics + for affecting changes in personality + in behaviour. I think it’s one of the most delicate + potent tools that we have + I’m impressed how rarely we see it in real life situations in any full-fledged form. / Very early in my work as therapist I discovered that simply listening to my client very attentively was an important way of being helpful. So, when I was in doubt as to what I should do, in some active way, I simply listened. And it seems surprising to me that such a passive kind of interaction could be so useful. / She helped me to learn that the most effective response, the most effective listening is where you listen for the feelings and emotions that were behind the words, just a little bit concealed. Where you could discern a pattern of feeling behind what was being said. And I think she’s the one first suggested that the best response was to reflect these feelings to the client. At the time it was really very helpful in the time of my work as a therapist + I was very grateful to her. I felt I learnt a great deal from her + she very little from me”.
The above was so impactful when I heard Carl Rogers gently share his thoughts on listening being so helpful. It reminded me of all the sessions I have planned, the most helpful, enriching, and relational building times have been 121, when I have had the opportunity + privilege to firstly listen to a student, understanding where they are at with their work, then meet them there + then give support + guidance, if necessary. Otherwise, ask them to continue the trajectory on which they have already demonstrated.
It makes me question how I may develop strategies in a fashion studio-culture where I can ‘listen’ more, giving students the space and appropriate time to share their current thoughts on their work-in-progress, where I can be the most effective + useful. For there is so much value in having the privilege to ‘listen’ to progress to the next stage in the creative journey. Without listening, we deny the learner the opportunity to express verbally their celebrations +/or challenges. It’s with listening that we get feedback to feedforward inclusively.