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Avoiding Listening Pitfalls

When you listen, especially in groups, you will want to avoid the following bad habits or pitfalls.

■ Daydreaming

Keep your mind and ears on the person speaking, not on what you’ll be doing after school or during the weekend.

■ Becoming Emotional

Sometimes you may get distracted by what the speaker is saying. Maybe it sounds like a great idea, and you want to talk about it rather than continuing to listen. Or maybe it doesn’t sound so great, and you want to make a comment. Keep your cool and keep listening.

■ Interrupting

Sometimes it’s necessary to interrupt the speaker. Maybe you are confused and need to ask for clarification. That’s okay, but do it politely. But, if it can wait, don’t interrupt.

■ Taking Too Many Notes

Believe it or not, it’s actually possible to take too many notes. It’s important to take good notes, but that means writing down only the essential information, not every last detail.