Introduction
Conversations are an essential part of our daily lives, and the ability to engage in meaningful and enjoyable discussions with others is a crucial skill for high school students. By incorporating principles of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) into our teaching, we can help students develop effective conversation skills that will not only improve their social interactions but also contribute to their overall well-being. In this blog post, we will explore an easy-to-implement activity and a set of discussion questions designed to teach students how to identify and discuss topics of interest with their peers.
No-Prep Activity: The Observation Game
This activity requires no preparation or materials from the educator and can be done in any setting. The purpose of the Observation Game is to help students practice identifying conversation topics based on visual clues from their peers.
- Divide the students into pairs, and ask them to sit facing each other.
- Give the students a few minutes to silently observe their partner, taking note of any visual cues that could indicate their interests (e.g., clothing, accessories, or even facial expressions).
- After the observation period, instruct the students to take turns initiating a conversation with their partner, using the visual cues they identified.
- Allow the pairs to converse for a few minutes, then ask them to switch partners and repeat the process.
- After the activity, gather the students for a group discussion to reflect on their experiences and share any insights or challenges they encountered.
Discussion Questions
Use these questions to stimulate further discussions among your students:
- How did you feel when trying to identify conversation topics based on visual clues? Was it easy or challenging? Why?
- What strategies did you use to find conversation topics? Were some strategies more effective than others?
- How did your conversations change when you focused on topics of interest to your partner? Did you notice any differences in the quality or length of your discussions?
- Why is it important to be able to talk about things that other people like? How does this skill contribute to building stronger relationships and connections with others?
- Can you think of any situations where this skill would be particularly useful? How might you apply what you learned today in your everyday life?
Related Skills
Beyond identifying conversation topics, there are several other relevant skills that can help high school students improve their social interactions and foster deeper connections with their peers. These include:
- Active listening: Paying close attention to what others are saying and demonstrating genuine interest in their thoughts and feelings.
- Empathy: Understanding and sharing the emotions of others, which can help create a supportive and inclusive environment for conversations.
- Nonverbal communication: Using body language, facial expressions, and gestures to convey messages and emotions during conversations.
- Conflict resolution: Addressing and resolving disagreements or misunderstandings in a respectful and constructive manner.
- Assertiveness: Expressing one’s thoughts, feelings, and needs in an honest and respectful way, while also considering the needs of others.
Next Steps
Now that you have learned about this engaging activity and discussion questions for improving conversation skills in high school students, we invite you to explore more SEL resources and strategies. To access free samples of skill-building materials, including the one discussed in this blog post, visit Everyday Speech’s sample materials page. By incorporating these valuable resources into your teaching practice, you can help your students develop the social-emotional skills they need to thrive in today’s world.
