Active Listening and Feedback

To take is to give, and to give is to take. This ideology of reciprocation might just be the

most basic principle of communication. Communication comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes,

may it be in the form of oral communication from a friend to another, from a teacher giving out

instructions to a student, from a child asking for their mother for a toy, or in the form of written

communication like an email from an employee asking their boss for a few weeks off, or even a

long sweet message sent through the social network. Regardless of how a message is being

transmitted or what is being transmitted, the bottom line is that one way or another, there is the

inevitable tendency of reciprocation.

Much attention has already been paid to how we can effectively transmit our messages,

however, it is worth noting that the receiving end of a communication process is just as important

as the contributing end. To communicate does not just equate to talking but also means listening.

One cannot be called a good communicator if they cannot learn how to listen.

Almost everyone has the innate ability to listen in on a conversation, despite that, not

everyone can listen well. One good rule of thumb to becoming a good and active listener is being

able to maintain eye contact. By holding on to eye contact, a listener is able to make a connection

with the speaker gives off as sign of presence. It also important that we give nonverbal cues such

as nodding your head, leaning forward slightly, or using facial expression to convey interest and

understanding. By doing so, the listeners encourage the speaker to continue. Active listeners

must also learn how to avoid causing any form of interruption. As listeners, we must allow the

speaker to express themselves fully without our interruption. Active listeners wait for natural

pauses or look for cues from where they will jump in to give their feedback. Other than not
interrupting, it also important that we focus on the speaker’s words and avoid getting distracted b

internal thoughts or external stimuli. To achieve this, we must learn how to create a conducive

listening environment by minimizing distractions such as background noise or electronic devices

that may divert our attention from the speaker, and in turn also helps the speaker to concentrate

on their message and not be distracted by external noise. Lastly, it important to be patient with

the speaker because sometimes, there are speakers who need ample time to gather their thoughts

and to construct their messages.

While we do acknowledge that listening is an important and is a key aspect in the

communication process, the entire transmission is only consummated by the receiver’s feedback.

The feedback is the receiver’ s response to the initial message of the speaker. One rule of thumb

for giving feed back is to show empathy. As listeners, regardless of how close we may be with

the speaker, there are tendencies when we have little to no knowledge on what the speaker has

been or is going through which is why we need to acknowledge their emotions and validate heir

experiences even if we do not totally agree with their perspective. At the end of the day—most of

the time, there is a reason for these people to feel or think the way they do.

It is also important that our feedback is coherent to the speaker’s message. One way to do

this is by first repeating back what you’ve heard in your own words to ensure understanding and

demonstrate that you are actively engaged in the conversation. After doing so, we can ask

clarifying questions. If something is unclear, listeners should ask open-ended questions to seek

clarification and deepen your understanding of the speaker’s message. Once we, as listeners,

have completed these two steps, we can begin formulating further feedback to the initial

message. We can give good constructive feedback by starting with a positive note. We must

begin our feedback by acknowledging any strengths or positive aspects of the message. By doing
so we are able to set a supportive tone that helps the speaker’s morale to be up, thus making it

easier for them to receive feedback. It is also important to be specific in our feedback by

clarifying or identifying the aspects of the message the we are giving our feedback on. We must

also separate the sender from the message and learn how to focus on the latter. The utilization of

the “I” paradigm is also a huge help in not making our feedback sound too accusatory. If

necessary, listeners who are giving feedback should also learn to provide context for their

feedback. This can help the speaker to understand why certain aspects of the message may need

improvement. Lastly, our feedback should be ended in the same manner that it was started—

positively. Listeners should conclude the feedback by reiterating any positive aspects of the

message and expressing confidence in the sender’s ability to improve.

Being an active listener is a tedious task, however, it is not impossible. If listeners show

the speaker that they are present, respect the speaker, show empathy, and give insightful

feedback, then the communication process can be considered a success. The summation of all

these helpful tips is that we must approach communication with openness, respect, and a

willingness to learn. By doing so, we can cultivate deeper connections and enrich our

interpersonal relationships.

Active listening and quality feedback are both vital components to not just the teaching

profession but also to the leaning process. This would only mean that a successful academe is

grounded on an open line of communication. These two contribute to creating a supportive and

positive environment for education that empowers students to achieve their full potential.

Active listening makes students more present and gives them a platform through which

they are part of the learning experience. It goes without saying that when educators listen to
students’ questions, concerns, or contributions actively, it feels validated, and they are motivated

to participate more. This leads us to the next implication, enhancing teacher-student relationship.

Every relationship in this world is held together by communication, and the same should be

imparted to be between a student and their teacher. A healthy collaboration between the two

provides a line of trust and open understanding between the educator and the students.

Good feedback also helps boost the morale of the students. When the teachers are

actively engaged with students and give back constructive feedback or criticism, they are more

likely to be involved in further classroom activities. This in turn also helps the teachers learn.

Active listening posits the teachers in a place where they are able to learn from their students.

The learnings gained by the teachers by listening to their students’ feedback and experiences,

help the teachers to improve their teaching styles and approaches to best attend to the needs of

the students.

Unlike most lessons learned in school, active listening and feedback are but two of the

few lessons learned that transcend the four corners of the classroom. Active listening and

feedback equip students with the necessary skill set that help them face challenging situations in

the real world. These also help students to become more adept in inquiries and grant them with a

natural drive to learn outside formal education.

B. Verbal Communication

Through the intricate choreography of human interaction, verbal communication serves

as the primary conduit that enables individuals to reveal their thoughts, emotions, and ideas to

others. Be it the quiet words exchanged in whispers between friends or the frenzied oratory that

alters the course of human civilization, words form the basic building blocks of the social matrix.

Even from the beginning of the very first civilization to have walked the earth, humans have

been communicating with one another.

Many individuals find it difficult to be able to communicate efficiently. Good verbal

communication is not just the amalgamation of oral nonsense, but rather, there must be thought

put in every single utterance that exits the mouth of the speaker. Otherwise, the communication

would only fail to transmit the message that the speaker is trying to convey. This bedlam in the

communication process can be avoided with two basic principles to consider when

communicating verbally, and that is clarity and brevity.

Clarity, in the context of verbal communication denotes the ability of a speaker to be able

to express in such a way that is not taxing to the recipient of the message. This means that when

a person has a clear way of transmitting messages, the receiving end of the communication

process, does not take up a ridiculous amount of energy just to decipher whatever message is

being sent to them. Clarity holds great significance in verbal communication because for one, it

facilitates understanding. Many communication attempts in the failed, in multiple contexts,

because of the lack of clarity. The understanding of a message is not merely the sole

responsibility of the receiver but must also be facilitated by the sender of the message. This helps

avoid any sort of miscommunication among speakers which could jeopardize the relationship
between them. By facilitating understanding in the communication process, the speaker also

prevents errors from being ensued by poor communication skills. Clarity in speech also builds a

reputation of credibility for the speaker. When a speaker is clear and is easily understandable by

their audience, then they will earn the trust of the recipients of the message and fosters trust

between speakers.

Clarity in speech can be attained and errors can be easily avoided by using simpler words.

It is quite dangerous for anyone to use their entire vocabulary in one sentence. Speakers must

consider the person they are talking to, or members of their audience may not be experts or fully

knowledgeable on the subject of your message. In consideration of that, speakers should avoid

using technical jargon when conversing with unfamiliar audience. In the event of times when

jargon cannot be avoided, it is best to just simply explain the complex language in layman’s

terms. Another point of consideration is to organize our thoughts before conversing with anyone.

When an unskilled speaker attempts to say things extemporaneously, there are tendencies where

in the speech becomes confusing and thus difficult to understand. This can be achieved by

logically sequencing their thoughts prior to delivering their message.

Context is also an integral key in achieving clarity in speech. Just what has been

previously mentioned regarding the use of complex language, messages without any context

often confuse the audience or the recipients of the communication process. Once the message has

been delivered, it is wise to ask for feedback from the listeners. This helps the receiver of the

message—especially those who ten to avoid saying anything critical, to openly express their

opinions or ask for clarifications.

 Brevity is synonymous to the conciseness of a message. Brevity is the conveying of

messages in such a way that is succinct and on point. This quality is highly valued in any form of

communication, especially in verbal communication. It is distinct from clarity in the sense that

while clarity attempts to ensure that the message not ambiguous or vague, brevity on the other

hand attempts to make the length of the message more minimal. In other words, clarity focuses

on the content, while brevity is focused on the from.

Brevity is very much valued in the communication process as it respects the time

constraints of the communication process. Communication is a two-way process which is why it

is also important to respect every aspect of the people that we are conversing with including

temporal aspect. By limiting the form of the message in such a way that makes it shorter, the

messenger is able to cut to the chase and make the communication time shorter. Brevity also

promotes efficiency with its short-timed nature. By delivering a less verbose message and

unnecessary elaboration, the communication is sped up and allows each member of the process t

have ample time to do other things outside of their conversation.

To achieve brevity, the speaker must learn to identify only the most important points of

their message so that they are able to avoid going over unnecessary details that contribute

nothing to the message. By learning to focus on key point, we are also able to eliminate

redundancy which is another method of making our messages more concise. Repetitive

information only lengthens the message.

Successful, efficient, and effective verbal communication is affected by a plethora of

other aspects other than clarity or brevity. Tone and Body language are equally important points

of consideration when engaging in verbal communication. Tone refers to how messages are
being spoken. This includes the accent, volume, intonation, rhythm, and the emotions of the

speaker. It also in the tone of the speaker that their intention is found. Certain messages—their

intent and meaning, could vary depending on how a speaker voices them out. The tone of the

speaker also reflects the confidence of the speaker. Moreover, depending on how confident the

speaker sounds to the audience, they may be viewed very differently and the interpretation and/or

the response to the message may vary.

Body language, or nonverbal communication on the other hand refers to the gestures

enacted by the speaker, their posture, facial expressions, and the movements that accompany

their verbal communication are all part of the nonverbal aspect of communication which should

also be paid attention to.

Body language impacts how the speaker will be understood by the receiver. Much like

the tone of our voice, the way our body moves reinforce the meaning of the speaker’s message.

The complementary relationship of the body language and the verbal message, inevitably shifts

the way the message recipient interprets the message, as our facial expression—which is also a

part of our nonverbal communication, expresses our emotions and intentions. Active and positive

body language are indicators of an attentive approach to the communication process. By doing

so, the speakers are able to establish rapport among them, thus, leading, to a healthier

conversation.

The bottom line here is that verbal communication, just as I have also previously

mentioned, is not merely the transmission of an amalgamation of the words in our head in the

attempt to communicate but is influenced by a multitude of factors. The words we chose, the

temporal manner in which we transmit the message, the way our body complements our words,
and the way we voice out our messages all tie up to how the message could sound to a person,

and in turn affects how they will respond to it.

The implications of effective verbal communication to education are limitless, one of

which is how it makes instructions, and the dissemination of tasks and information, clearer and

much easier to understand. Effective verbal communication also helps students to express their

thoughts and ideas thus contributing effectively to their own learning process and that of their

classmates. Conversely, it also helps the teacher to ask the proper questions that will instigate a

sense of curiosity and a drive to find answers in students. Other than the academic aspect,

education also entails the social life of students in the school, by that very fact, verbal

communication helps create a safe, healthy, and communicative environment for the students.
C. Written Communication

Around 3500 BCE, in the fertile crescent that is Mesopotamia—or modern-day Iraq and

some parts of Iran, Syria, and Turkey, Sumerians first emerged. This ancient civilization were the

pioneers of the bronze age and the first of many things. Among the many things that the ancient

Sumerians have pioneered and invented, one of the most integral contributions that they have

brough to the contemporary world that is of huge significance to the daily endeavors of human,

is the creation of writing systems as forms of communications.

From writing on clay tablets with a stylus, humans have found ways to further develop

and evolve and are now taking advantage of the advent of modern technology and are now using

them as means of communication. People have invented Social Network Systems, social media

and other forms of what we now call as online communication.

While civilization has truly evolved from traditional forms of written communication, we

cannot deny the importance of the principles of writing communicative letters that are still being

applied today. In professional settings, letter writing still proves its worth by helping individuals

to convey messages in a structured manner as to not confuse the recipient and avoid

miscommunication.

In writing letters or writing emails, the principal structure and form and how the thoughts

of the sender organized are pretty much the same. Each email begins with a subject, in this

section of the communication, the sender puts in a sort of title that encapsulates the summation

or the intent of the message. In the letter proper, it is important to note that the information of the

recipient should be seen. Only relevant information must be seen at the header, this usually

includes the name of the recipient, their address—or in professional settings, their office address,
and whenever applicable to the situation, it is advisable to input the office held by the intended

recipient.

The header is then followed by greetings and salutations. One good rule of thumb is to

ensure that the sender opens their message in a positive and polite mood. After which, a short

introduction is written to provide context of the letter’s intentions. For example, when inviting

someone to an event, background information on the event must be placed at the introduction of

letter. A good introduction effectively outlines the content of the letter.

The main points of the letter or email is found in the body. This is where ideas,

information, or arguments are presented in a logical sequence. One good hint, when writing this

portion is to begin by stating your point and providing justification or reasons to prove as to how

your point or intent would be beneficial for the general public or to the majority. Evidence

should also be presented in this section to further reinforce your intentions. To tie all your main

point together, a concise conclusive summary should be found at the end of the letter before

writing down the closing which includes the name of the sender and optionally includes their

signature to fortify the authenticity of the message.

Prior to sending out the message, it is advised that the sender should first proofread and

edit the message. This is one of the many advantages of written communication. Because of the

nature of this form of communication, mistakes can be easily avoided by religiously scrutinizing

the work for any errors in the formatting, the styling, the content, or even grammar. If ever errors

are found, it is best to revise the work and review it until no errors are found in the text.

While it is important note the structure and organization of the message, there also certain

etiquette when sending or writing an email. Firstly, the subject line must be clear, descriptive,
and true to the content of the email. This section must grab the recipient’s attention on short

notice. Next is to address the recipient of the email appropriately. Titles are important to note

when writing professional letters to certain individuals, this emits respect and entices a response

from the recipient. The tone of writing must also be minded when writing emails. If possible, it is

best to maintain a professional tone when writing. Lastly, when receiving an email from someone

it is best to reply promptly. Individuals should learn to respect the time of the person on the other

end of the email in order to maintain a healthy exchange between them.

Emails have truly taken over the communication process in the professional world.

However, written communication in the contemporary world does not begin nor end with email.

In the professional environment, individuals make use of memoranda and reports in order to

communicate with larger audiences and to announce changes, recommendation, and other

concerns.

Memorandums or often time abbreviated as “memo”, are often used in the professional

setting in order to give out announcements, updates, information, requests, reminders, and/or,

instructions in a clear and concise manner. Effective memoranda often utilize descriptive and

on-the-point language for easy understanding and follows a standard format. For memoranda to

effectively come to fruition, the information within the text should have context and be arranged

or organized in a logical manner. If necessary, bullet points or numbered lists are heavily

advised. Lastly, since memoranda are usually used to call for actions, it is wise to have the

language in which it is written to be direct and include necessary and concrete action items or

next steps.
 Reports on the other hand are structured texts that presents the findings and their analyses

from either research or surveys. The purpose of reports are typically to provide answers to

inquiries or provide recommendations to the problems. Reports usually include the typical cover

page and table of contents. Succeeding the table of contents, the executive summary is where the

writer sums up key findings, conclusions and recommendations. After this, an introduction is

utilized in order to provide context for the report and why the data collection was conducted. The

data collection process and the methodology used in collecting data are usually found in the first

few sections of a report and justifications of why these data were collected in a certain manner.

After the presentation of data, the analysis is then presented which gives thorough discussions on

the findings along with the implications of the data. Effective reports utilize visual aids in order

to clearly explain the findings. After presenting and analyzing the data, recommendations are

provided for addressing the issues or achieving objectives outlined in the report.

It is observable that although given the more lenient time constraints, written

communication is a much more tedious task than that of verbal communication. In any form of

written communication, it is expected that the writer takes the time to properly structure their

message. Apart from this, written communication requires a tedious cycle of reviewing and

revision, if one wishes to write effectively. Tedious as it may be, written communication is one of

the most utilized form of communication for its convenient nature.

In the academe, effective written communication provides a more accessible avenue to

instructional materials for students, include students whose learning styles, abilities, and need are

considerably diverse as that of the average student. Comprehensive writing makes for an

inclusive and equitable academic environment.

 Written communication also plays a vital role in documentation and record keeping. An

educator well versed in writing haves a much easier time in documenting and recording

important information which could be vital in the overall progress of the learners. These

documents and records include but are not limited to student assessments, progress reports, and

academic policies. Highlighting policy development, clear and transparent communication—

particularly written communication, ensures that stakeholders understand and adhere to

established policies, promoting consistency and accountability.

Lastly, written communication is the bridge that closes the distance between cross-

cultural learning. Because of its transcendent nature to go beyond geographical boundaries,

written communication becomes the key to globalized education.

D. Conflict Resolution

The world that we live in today has strife and conflict hiding in every nook and cranny.

We are living in an era where conflict is as natural as the rising sun, however, regardless of how

natural the world makes it to be, conflict, in every form, victimizes a multitude of innocent by

standers who cannot fend for themselves. Conflict is borne out of the hatred and selfishness of

humans, and it corrupts everything and everyone it touches.

As conflict lays waste on communities and individuals, the world is in need for people

with the ability to calm the seas. The world is in demand of people whose words and actions are

able to calm even the most heated of contentions in the world. The ability to resolve conflict is a

skill that not everyone has but is one that everyone needs.

. One of the many methods of resolving conflict is the collaborative style. The

collaborative style is quite a relatively difficult process of problem solving. This is because it

demands for both parties to collaborate in the midst of their argumentation. The very basic

principle of this problem-solving method is compromising in order to find a solution that will

benefit all involved parties. Another style is the competing or assertive style. This problem

solving style is just as the problematic as being in an argument in the first place. This style of

resolution occurs when both parties contend as to who is more correct in the situation on the

basis of authority or status.

There is also a resolution style that is the exact inverse of the latter. The accommodating

or yielding style contradicts the hubris of the previous style by highlighting the importance of

humility. By resorting to this method of resolving conflict, an individual voluntarily concedes the

argument and gives way to the opposite party. Another strategy that is as demure as the last-
mentioned is the avoiding or evasive style. This method is characterized by avoiding conflict by

choosing not to address the issue altogether. The problem, however, with this method is that it

fails to address the problematic situation that created the conflict. The more that a member of the

party ignores the problematic situation—especially if they are at fault, the more situation

becomes a mountain out of a molehill.

Lastly, perhaps the best method of resolving issues is by invoking the intervention of a

third party. This method is called the mediation or third-party intervention, and it is much

preferred several reasons. For one, it calls for neutral facilitation. With the help of an outside

party, the settlement is ensured to be more objective and impartial as compared to having the

party settled by the people involved in the contention. Because the third party is not directly

involved in the argument, the tension and emotion in the conflict is then minimized. The

minimization of emotional tension is important to coming up with strategies to determine the

best course of action posterior to the argument.

As a mediator in a conflict, it is worth noting that one must be an active listener. Circling

back to the benefits of this method, mediation is known for its neutrality, and in order to do so,

one must be able to listen to both parties regardless of their stances. A mediator’s conclusive

thoughts should never be pre-supposed. Recommendations and conclusion should only be

formulated one all parties have expressed their concenters. Another matter for the mediator’s

consideration is the confidentiality of the conflict. The mediator must ensure that any and all

matters should be stay within the one s involved in the conversation.

There are multiple ways of dealing with conflict. Each of these methods are applicable to

certain issues and discords. The nature of the conflict determines the method of resolution that is
to be used in order to neutralize the situation. While all of these may be effective in their own

respect, each of them also has their own limitation. It also worth noting that it is also possible to

utilize a combination two or more styles in resolving conflict.

the ability to resolve conflict in any given situation is an indispensable trait that should be

possessed by every educator, administrator, school head, and preferably the students as well. This

ability creates a positive classroom climate by reducing any conflict that may emerge in this

setting. By doing so peer relationships among students are maintained, and bullying related

violence is reduced.

As educators, it is also worth noting that intellectual prosperity isn’t the only concern.

Being able to instill the ability to resolve conflict in students, educators are able to enhance

social and emotional learning competencies. These competencies include self-awareness,

management, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making skills.

E. Digital Communication Tools

We are situated in the advent of technology. From cave to the clouds, human civilization

has constantly evolved and every day, humans are still innovating. Our era is defined by the fast-

paced technological advancements especially in the field of communication. Centuries ago

humans would travers great length just to get messages through, however, with the revolutionary

invention and widespread adoption of the internet and its profound impact on communication,

society has never looked the same. With the use of the smallest of devices we are able to close

the gap between cities, countries, continents, and even send messages to the moon and back.

With the introduction of emails, instant messaging, and video conferencing, individuals have

revolutionized what it means to connect.

Emails were first utilized by the general public during the 19902 as a personal and

professional communication system. Ever since its conception and emails have transmogrified

communication in a large scale and to this day it still holds great significance. Emails are

ubiquitous communication tools which means that sends messages regardless of distances.

Another convenience that email serves is the asynchronous communication. Emails don’t

disappear if not received the moment it was sent which is great for filing messages to be

addressed in a future time.

The best way to utilize emails is by writing clear and concise messages. Emails demand

effective structure to ensure that there is no misinformation or misconception borne out of poor

structuring. It is also a good rule of thumb that a professional tone is maintained in both the

content and the form of the message.

 Text-based, real-time communication between individuals or groups via digital platforms

or applications is called instant messaging. The first instant messaging software, ICQ, was

created in the 1990s. Other well-known systems that followed included AIM, MSN Messenger,

and eventually WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Slack. Instant messaging is great for when

individuals wish to converse informally and with the emergence of group chats, collaboration

and coordination can now be accomplished in remotely but still in real time.

While it is a real time messaging tool, it is still important to note for effective utilization,

that the recipients of our messages may not be available at the time of sending the message.

Respecting other peoples’ boundaries is a key principle in instant messaging. Appropriate tone

must also be observed even in instant messaging platforms. Words can greatly impact other

people which is why it is important that we are mindful of what we say.

In the 1970’s, in order for real time communication to occur but still has visual and audio

inputs remotely, Video conferencing was developed. Though it was invented in the 1970’s, it was

not adopted and advanced until much later with the availability of platforms such as Skype and

many more. Video conferencing reached its peak during the covid-19 pandemic. When people

were prohibited from meeting face-to-face due to the risk of the spreading the deadly covid virus,

people opted to utilize video conferencing. Video conferencing made pseudo-face-to-face

communication possible, which really helped a number of people during those dark times. Since

video conferencing is also available globally, it also narrows down the distance between loved

ones who are separated by international borders while making their presence more felt.
` Video conferencing is a relatively new concept and is constantly evolving, it is for this

reason that we should learn and try to test new technologies in order for us to truly utilize and

max out its potential.

By understanding the significance and adopting effective utilization strategies for email,

instant messaging, and video conferencing, individuals and organizations can leverage these

digital communication tools to enhance productivity, collaboration, and connectivity in various

contexts. Each of these contemporary messaging tools have paved the way for us to revolutionize

our world. In fact, these technological advancements have immeasurable implications on

education such as offering opportunities to enhance communication, collaboration, engagement,

and learning outcomes in diverse educational settings. By leveraging these digital

communication tools effectively, educators can create dynamic and inclusive learning

environments that meet the needs of 21st-century learners. For one, with the current situation of

our country as it faces heats exceeding our bodies capability to adapt, online learning has become

the gateway towards sustaining the flow of the learning process whilst keeping individuals safe

from harm