Put Your Ears On

In my 4th grade classroom, our teacher repeatedly said “put your ears on” to those of us who weren’t listening to him as attentively as he would have liked.  He said it in a punitive, demeaning way, as if to shake us out of the wormhole our young brains had fallen into.  Our lives were flooded with distractions and new things to process; or we were zoning out as we stared at the sun-scorched grass outside the window.  

I get it - teaching 4th graders is trophy-worthy work.  And, admittedly, Mr. Green was one of the better teachers I had as a kid.  But truth be told, I hated this phrase and was happy to leave it behind when I moved on in my education and life.  Yes, it has bubbled up occasionally since elementary school, and every time I hear it I am transported back to that classroom.  I bristle at it, making me do just the opposite of what it’s asking me to do: listen.

Listening is a sort of superpower.  Being fully present as we tune into what others are sharing does not come naturally to most of us.  I admit, it’s been a challenge for me; it’s a skill I’ve spent a lot of effort cultivating, both personally and professionally.  Listening is vital to my work, and how I engage with everyone I encounter each day.  The results of “putting my ears on” can be magic.

So I am reclaiming this phrase.  Taking it away from my teacher’s disciplinary toolbox and embracing it as something similar to putting on an explorer’s hat.  I will put my ears on to discover, wonder, and learn.