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Towards your CPD ADIs... lend us your ears Steve Garrod looks at the power of communication – and how it’s a vital component of every lesson The way we communicate is a key part of any lesson, regardless of the subject being taught. Instructors are expected to engage their pupils in conversation about key learning points of the lesson. Instructors who are good at talking are not necessarily good communicators. You may have experienced someone at the local test centre who is a great talker but has limited listening skills ... and I bet someone has just sprung to mind! Communication is not a one-way street (pardon the pun) of information. Similar to traffic flowing on a busy road, communication is about the interaction of those involved in the conversation. For example, reading body language for clues to continue with what we are saying; anticipating what others might say; instinctively knowing when to allow others to speak and, more importantly, knowing when to stop talking so that we can listen; or at least that’s the theory! Think of the last conversation you had with a pupil or another instructor. What percentage of the time did you spend: – listening? – speaking? What were you thinking about while the other person was speaking? Was it what they were saying or, perhaps, what you were going to say next? 24 You are more likely to be a good communicator if you are a good listener. Listening skills are an essential part of communication and are particularly relevant in one to one communication. Listening is often confused with hearing; hearing is a passive act, while listening requires active participation on behalf of the listener. It is important, therefore, that you demonstrate active listening when you are in conversation with your pupil. Active listening requires more than appearing to pay attention to what is being said; you need to consider your posture, your facial expressions and, if appropriate, how you encourage your pupil to continue with what they want to say. The next time you watch the news, try to look at the interviewer. You will see ‘‘ Actively listening to what your pupils are saying will give you a better chance of understanding what your pupil is trying to say and what they want / need to learn... ‘‘ them nodding, smiling and generally acknowledging the comments from the interviewee to encourage them to continue their conversation. It is very difficult to create a positive atmosphere for natural communication when someone is on ‘permanent send’. Active listening requires you to digest what your pupil is saying and consider it before responding. A friendly tone, a personal question or simply a smile will encourage your pupil to continue speaking. You can paraphrase what they are saying; for example, “So you feel you need to work on…” or “From what I gather you are having problems with…” Actively listening to what is being said will give you a better chance of understanding what your pupil is trying to say and what they want / need to learn. It is fair to say that many of us are guilty of not fully concentrating on what is being said. The trick is to be aware of it and to ensure we listen before we speak, or at least listen long enough before we interrupt. For a variety of reasons it wouldn’t be practical to allow our pupils to continue talking continuously. A nice saying I heard some years ago to stop someone going ‘off track’ is to say “Can we park that idea for now please?” It is far more effective than speaking over NEWSLINK n JULY 2021
For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com someone or telling them to stop talking. The same can be said of your pupil. They too need to be actively listening to what you are saying; therefore you need to be aware of lapses in concentration. Once someone stops concentrating they stop listening, when they stop listening they stop learning. Breaking your instructions down in to small chunks will help keep the lesson lively. This should be instinctive; for example, how would you tell someone your new mobile phone number? Do you give them all the numbers at once or break the number down into small chunks of 3 or 4 numbers at a time? The chances are you use ‘chunking’, therefore if you apply the same logic to your teaching, you will help your pupil retain their concentration. Non-verbal communication Much has been written about the importance of body language; however, it isn’t an exact science. You need to appreciate cultural differences before jumping to conclusions. In some cultures, making eye contact with older people is disrespectful and certain innocent hand gestures have completely different meanings. Some people feel that crossing your arms means you are ‘closed’ and being unresponsive, whereas Consider the image you are portraying if you sit next to your pupil with a clipboard... does that look too official? ‘‘‘‘ it could mean that your pupil is cold or just don’t know what to do with their hands while listening! Likewise, you must also consider the image you are portraying if you are sitting beside your learner holding a clipboard on your lap during the lesson; it may appear too official. It could also be seen as a barrier to communication. Gestures Most people naturally use their hands and face to express or clarify meaning. People who speak in public do this more than most (some better than others) because they realise how much meaning their body language can add to the words they are saying, or those they are hearing. Driving instructors should take time to reflect on their own gestures used when teaching complex actions such as the ‘pull – push’ steering method or imitating clutch control. Simple hand gestures can help when teaching on the move and a friendly smile and nod could be used to signal a correct answer. Empathy Even when you disagree with a point of view, for example while conducting a fleet training session when a client says “But I have to break the speed limit to get my work done”, it is important for you to understand their point of view. Using phrases as simple as “I understand it may feel like that at times” or “What makes you say that, can you give me an example?” demonstrates that you have been listening and respect their opinions. Although deep down we know they are about to come out with a common excuse and give an unjustifiable answer, we have to show restraint and try to promote a change in their behaviour. Sometimes CPD doesn’t need to cost anything, it can be as simple as reading something and putting it into practice, so take some time to listen to what is being said, and give some thoughts to your responses. As someone once told me, we have two ears but only one mouth, so we need to listen twice as much as we speak. NEWSLINK n JULY 2021 25
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