“Motivational interviewing is really about active listening, and we can catch and understand so much more if we actively listen. This is a collaborative style of communication.” – Dr. Eric G. Bing
At the November 6 meeting of the SMU District Leadership Fellows, four cohort members had the opportunity to build their motivational interviewing skills by participating in a counseling simulation developed by Mursion. Khechara Bradford (Chief Academic Officer, Spring ISD), Dr. Gerald Hudson (Superintendent, Cedar Hill ISD), Dr. Deidre Parish (Superintendent, Darrouzett ISD), and Justin Risner (Superintendent, Central ISD) each conducted a short interview with “Linda,” a simulated school administrator who is dealing with work and family issues stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mursion is a mixed-reality simulation environment that uses virtual avatars to help train leaders, counselors, coaches, and others to become more effective in difficult interpersonal situations. Researchers at the Simmons School of Education and Human Development use the simulator to support teacher practice, offering pre-service and in-service teachers the opportunity to learn new skills and to craft their practice without placing “real” students at risk during the learning process. In addition, the simulator has been used to teach motivational interviewing techniques to SMU undergraduates and graduate students in health and counseling classes.
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