Introduction

Joining a group conversation can be challenging for students, especially when it comes to determining the right time to do so. In order to ensure a smooth and successful interaction, students need to develop the social-emotional skills necessary to observe and understand social cues, as well as to recognize when it is appropriate to join a conversation. In this blog post, we will discuss how to teach students these essential skills using a no-prep activity and discussion questions.

No-Prep Activity: The Observation Game

In this activity, students will practice the skill of observing a group’s body language and social cues to determine if it is a good time to join the conversation. Here’s how to conduct the Observation Game:

1. Divide the class into small groups of three or four students.
2. Ask each group to choose one student to be the “observer” while the rest of the group engages in a conversation or activity.
3. Give the observer a list of cues to look for, such as eye contact, facial expressions, body language, and the level of engagement in the conversation or activity.
4. Allow the observer to watch the group for a few minutes, taking note of the cues they observe.
5. After a few minutes, have the observer decide if it is a good time to join the conversation based on the cues they observed. If the observer decides it is a good time, they can join the conversation. If not, they should continue observing until the group’s cues indicate that it is an appropriate time to join.
6. Rotate roles within the group so that each student has a chance to practice observing and joining the conversation.

This activity allows students to practice their observation skills and helps them become more aware of the social cues that indicate when it is appropriate to join a group conversation.

Discussion Questions

Use these questions to further explore the topic of joining a group conversation at the right time with your students:

• Why is it important to observe a group before joining a conversation?
• What are some clues that might indicate a group is too busy to join?
• How can you tell if a group is open to having someone join their conversation?
• How did you feel when you were the observer in the activity? What did you learn from the experience?
• Can you think of a real-life situation where you had to decide if it was the right time to join a group conversation? How did you handle it?

Related Skills

Beyond observing social cues and joining group conversations at the right time, there are other important social-emotional skills that students should develop. These include:

• Active listening: The ability to give one’s full attention to the speaker and understand their message.
• Empathy: The ability to understand and share the feelings of others.
• Assertiveness: The ability to express one’s feelings, opinions, and needs in a respectful and confident manner.
• Conflict resolution: The ability to address disagreements in a constructive and non-confrontational manner.

Next Steps

Now that you have learned about teaching students how to join a group conversation at the right time and the importance of developing related social-emotional skills, we invite you to explore more resources and sample materials to help you in your teaching journey. Sign up for free samples of skill-building materials and discover new ways to help your students develop essential social-emotional skills for their everyday lives.