New Resource: Two-Eared Listening Kit

Restorative Practices in Schools resources are published throughout the year. I recently discovered two new resources from Relationships First Newfoundland and Labrador (RFNL). In November 2023 I sadly was told that one of my favorite resources, Relationships First, was being suspended, so I was happy to find these two new resources. One is about the holidays that I’ll write about in the fall. This one is Two-Eared Listening For Deeper Understanding: Classroom Resource Kit (2025).¹

“Elders tell us that we have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen more than we talk.”

The cover’s bright colors demand our attention. In 2021, high school sisters, Anne and Rachel entered their artwork to answer the question, “What does Two-Eared Listening mean to you? Here’s how they explained their vision.”^{1, p. 3}

“When we thought of two eared listening, we visualized two ears joined together that forms a heart. We actively listen not only using our ears but our heart, with open-mindedness that will always work towards equality and reconciliation. The hands around the hEARt is a gesture that symbolizes the sharing of what we have understood and learned.”

Two-Eared Listening is a way of listening taught to them by Traditional Chief Mi’sel Joe of Miawpukek First Nation. It means listening with both of our ears and with our heart.

Instead of rushing to respond or judge, we take time to really hear, understand, and learn from each other. By doing this, we can build trust, show respect, and work toward (re)conciliation.

This Kit is filled with a wide variety of activities, such as templates, why it matters, and curriculum for five age groups from early childhood to grade 12. There are two-page lesson plans and an activity for each curriculum level. Preparation, lesson flow, circle reflection, and closing information are included to make this easier for the educator to train using the material.

What’s Inside the Resource Kit?

Principles	Lesson Plans	Research Based	Activities
▪ Why it Matters ▪ Indigenous & Western Ways of Knowing ▪ Truth & Reconciliation	▪ EC- 2nd ▪ Grades 3rd – 6th ▪ Grades 7-9 ▪ Grades 10- 12	▪ Protocol Posters ▪ Printables & Charts ▪ Student Posters ▪ Reflection Worksheets	▪ About Chief Mi’sel Joe ▪ Orange Shirt Day ▪ Calls to Action

“This resource is an invitation for educators and youth-serving organizations to practice careful listening together, to honour Indigenous voices, and to carry reconciliation forward as a shared responsibility.”^{1, p. 2}

Additional Resource

• Stone in the Road

Source

1. 2025.Two-Eared Listening For Deeper Understanding: Classroom Resource Kit. https://www.rfnl.org/resources