Introduction

Blurting can be a common challenge for students in the classroom, especially those with special needs. When students blurt out answers or comments without waiting their turn, it can disrupt the flow of the class and affect both teachers and classmates. In this blog post, we will explore strategies and activities to help students manage blurting and improve their social-emotional learning skills.

No-Prep Activity: The Blurting Balloon

Here’s a simple activity to help students recognize when they’re blurting and practice waiting their turn. This activity requires no preparation or materials from the educator.

1. Ask the students to sit in a circle.
2. Explain to the students that they will pretend to pass an imaginary balloon around the circle.
3. When a student receives the “balloon,” they can share a thought, answer a question, or make a comment. Remind them to wait for their turn before speaking.
4. After sharing, the student passes the “balloon” to the next person.
5. Repeat the process until everyone has had a chance to share.

This activity helps students practice patience and self-control, as they learn to wait for their turn to speak and share their thoughts.

Discussion Questions

Use these questions to facilitate a deeper conversation about blurting and its impact on the classroom environment:

1. How do you feel when someone blurts out in class? How do you think it affects other students and the teacher?
2. What are some strategies you can use to help yourself wait for your turn to speak?
3. Why is it important to practice patience and self-control in a classroom setting?
4. Can you think of a time when you successfully waited for your turn to speak? How did it feel?
5. How can we support each other in practicing good listening and waiting skills in class?

Related Skills

Blurting is closely related to other social-emotional learning skills that students can benefit from developing:

• Active listening: Encourage students to focus on the speaker, maintain eye contact, and avoid interrupting.
• Self-awareness: Help students recognize their own feelings and thoughts, and how their actions affect others.
• Impulse control: Teach students strategies to manage their urges to speak out and interrupt others.
• Empathy: Guide students in understanding and respecting the feelings of their classmates and teachers.

Next Steps

Managing blurting in the classroom is an ongoing process, and with the right support and strategies, students can improve their self-control and social-emotional learning skills. To access free samples of skill-building materials and other resources, sign up at Everyday Speech. These materials can help educators create a supportive learning environment and foster students’ growth in managing blurting and other social-emotional learning challenges.