Introduction

As educators, it’s important to teach high school students the concept of boundaries, particularly in conversations. Some topics are more appropriate to discuss with close friends and family members, while others should be avoided with acquaintances or peers. Oversharing, or providing too many personal details, can make others feel uncomfortable. In this blog post, we will explore a no-prep activity to help students understand the importance of maintaining conversational boundaries and avoiding oversharing.

No-Prep Activity: The Conversation Game

This activity requires no preparation or materials from the educator. The purpose of the Conversation Game is to help students practice identifying appropriate and inappropriate topics to discuss with acquaintances or peers.

1. Divide the students into pairs or small groups.
2. Ask each group to come up with a list of 10 conversation topics.
3. Have the students categorize each topic as either appropriate or inappropriate for conversations with acquaintances or peers.
4. Ask each group to share their categorized list with the class, explaining their reasoning for each topic’s classification.
5. As a class, discuss any discrepancies or disagreements regarding the categorization of topics.

This activity encourages students to think critically about the topics they choose to discuss with others and helps them understand the importance of maintaining appropriate conversational boundaries.

Discussion Questions

1. Why is it important to maintain appropriate boundaries in conversations with acquaintances or peers?
2. How can oversharing make others feel uncomfortable?
3. What are some strategies to avoid oversharing in conversations?
4. How can you determine if a topic is appropriate to discuss with someone?
5. What are the potential consequences of oversharing with acquaintances or peers?

Related Skills

In addition to teaching students about boundaries and oversharing, it’s essential to help them develop other related social-emotional skills. Some of these skills include:

• Active listening: Encourage students to listen carefully and respectfully to others during conversations.
• Empathy: Teach students to put themselves in others’ shoes and consider how their words and actions may affect those around them.
• Respect for privacy: Help students understand the importance of respecting the privacy of others and not sharing their personal information without permission.
• Assertiveness: Guide students in learning how to assert their boundaries and communicate their needs effectively in various situations.

Next Steps

Teaching high school students about boundaries and oversharing is an important aspect of social-emotional learning. Incorporating activities and discussions around this topic can help students develop stronger communication skills, build healthier relationships, and navigate social situations more effectively.

If you’re interested in exploring more resources to teach social-emotional skills, we encourage you to sign up for free samples of our materials at Everyday Speech. Our resources cover a wide range of topics and can help you create engaging and impactful lessons for your students.