Introduction

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is essential for students to develop healthy relationships, self-awareness, and effective communication skills. One of the key aspects of SEL is learning how to engage in meaningful conversations. This blog post will focus on an essential skill for elementary students: maintaining eye contact during conversations. By practicing eye contact, students will learn to build connections, show respect, and improve their listening skills.

No-Prep Activity: The Eye Contact Game

This activity is designed to help students practice maintaining eye contact during everyday conversations. It requires no preparation or materials from the educator, making it an easy and accessible way to teach this important skill.

1. Divide students into pairs. If you have an odd number of students, you can join in as a partner.
2. Ask the students to stand or sit facing each other.
3. Each pair will take turns asking and answering simple questions, such as “What is your favorite color?” or “What did you do this weekend?”
4. While asking and answering questions, students should maintain eye contact with their partner.
5. After a few minutes, have students switch partners and repeat the process.
6. Optionally, at the end of the activity, bring the class together for a group discussion to reflect on their experiences and what they learned.

Discussion Questions

After completing the Eye Contact Game, use these questions to stimulate further discussions and reflections:

• Why is maintaining eye contact important during conversations?
• How did you feel when your partner maintained or didn’t maintain eye contact with you?
• What challenges did you face while trying to keep eye contact during the activity?
• How can practicing eye contact improve our communication skills?
• What other social-emotional skills can be developed through everyday conversations?

Related Skills

In addition to eye contact, there are other essential social-emotional skills that can be developed through everyday conversations. Some of these skills include:

• Active listening: Paying close attention to what the other person is saying and responding thoughtfully.
• Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others, which helps build strong connections and support networks.
• Respectful communication: Speaking kindly and politely, even when discussing difficult topics or disagreements.
• Nonverbal communication: Recognizing and interpreting body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice to better understand the other person’s feelings and intentions.

Next Steps

The Eye Contact Game is just one example of a simple, no-prep activity that can help students develop essential social-emotional skills. By incorporating activities like this into your lessons, you can create a supportive learning environment where students feel comfortable expressing themselves and engaging with others.

To explore more activities and resources, sign up for free samples of social-emotional learning materials at Everyday Speech. These materials include videos, games, and interactive lessons that can be easily integrated into your curriculum to help students develop the skills they need for success in school and beyond.