Introduction

As educators, we understand the importance of teaching our students how to communicate effectively and respectfully with others. One essential social skill is learning how to get someone’s attention without touching or hurting them. This skill is crucial for building healthy relationships and fostering a positive learning environment. In this blog post, we will discuss a no-prep activity that can help teach this skill, offer discussion questions to stimulate further exploration, mention related skills, and provide next steps for educators interested in incorporating these principles into their classrooms.

No-Prep Activity: The Attention-Getting Game

This activity requires no preparation or materials and is designed to teach students how to get attention without touching others. Here’s how to conduct the Attention-Getting Game:

1. Divide the students into pairs, with each pair standing at a comfortable distance from each other.
2. Explain that the goal of the game is for one student to get their partner’s attention without touching them in any way.
3. One student will close their eyes, while the other student will try to get their partner’s attention using only their words and voice.
4. Once the student with closed eyes hears their partner and acknowledges them, they can open their eyes.
5. Switch roles and repeat the process.
6. After each pair has completed the activity, bring the class together to discuss the experience and share what they learned.

Discussion Questions

Use these questions to facilitate further discussion among your students:

• What strategies did you use to get your partner’s attention without touching them?
• How did it feel when you successfully got your partner’s attention using only your words?
• Why is it important to get someone’s attention without touching or hurting them?
• Can you think of a situation where using your words to get attention would be more effective than touching someone?
• How can you practice waiting with a calm body when someone is busy and you want their attention?

Related Skills

Teaching students how to get attention without touching is just one aspect of Social-Emotional Learning. Other related skills that can help students develop healthy communication and relationships include:

• Active listening
• Empathy and understanding
• Respect for personal boundaries
• Conflict resolution
• Assertive communication

Next Steps

Now that you’ve learned about the importance of teaching students how to get attention without touching and have tried the Attention-Getting Game, you may be interested in exploring more activities and strategies to support Social-Emotional Learning in your classroom. To get started, sign up for free sample materials that cover a variety of topics and skills. These resources can help you create a comprehensive approach to teaching essential social skills and fostering a positive learning environment for all students.