Check Your Understanding
In a conversation with school staff, you can show you’re listening by restating or summarizing what you heard. This helps you confirm that you understand what’s been said. It also helps others feel that they’ve been heard or allows them to clarify misunderstandings.
For example, if the teacher says, “During recess Rachel is spending most of her time with the playground supervisor, and this is starting to be a problem. The supervisor needs to supervise all the kids.”
To check your understanding, you might say, “So, what you’re saying is, Rachel isn’t playing with the other kids. She’s really attached to the playground supervisor.”
This gives the teacher the opportunity to verify that you understood or to rephrase what he or she was trying to say. This is not the time to give a “counter argument.” For now, you’re just listening and checking your understanding.