Most students prefer visual input--through normal development or instructional reinforcement--yet, most teachers provide information to be taken in by listening. This mismatch can confound the learning process. To determine how well teachers listen and what their teaching/learning preferences might be, more than 200 educators provided data about listening effectiveness and personality preferences. The data showed that those individuals who are more logical and thought-oriented listened more effectively overall and veteran educators listened better than student teachers (most likely attributable to their longer experience). The implications are that teachers who overuse the auditory mode might be creating an environment where some students will get into distress and seek negative ways to get their needs met. The major finding was that educators who are strong in thought orientation tended to be the better listeners. Regardless of the personal orientation of teachers, the precursor to student learning is the teacher's ability to connect with them personally.