Introduction

As educators, it’s important to teach our students effective communication skills. One crucial aspect of communication is understanding the difference between Conversation Drivers and Conversation Stoppers. Conversation Drivers are behaviors that keep a conversation going, while Conversation Stoppers hinder the flow of conversation, making it confusing or uncomfortable for the participants. In this blog post, we’ll explore an engaging no-prep activity for teaching these skills, provide discussion questions to stimulate further learning, and suggest related skills for students to develop.

No-Prep Activity: The Conversation Switch

This activity requires no materials or preparation and helps students practice using Conversation Drivers and identifying Conversation Stoppers. Here’s how it works:

1. Divide students into pairs.
2. Ask each pair to start a conversation on a given topic, such as a recent field trip or a favorite hobby.
3. After a couple of minutes, instruct one student in each pair to intentionally use a Conversation Stopper (e.g., looking away, using a disinterested tone, or changing the subject abruptly).
4. Have the other student identify the Conversation Stopper and provide feedback on how it made them feel.
5. Switch roles and repeat the process.

This activity encourages students to practice using Conversation Drivers, such as making eye contact, showing interest through body language, staying on topic, and sharing the conversation equally. It also helps them recognize and avoid Conversation Stoppers.

Discussion Questions

After completing the activity, use these questions to stimulate further discussion and reflection:

• How did it feel when your partner used a Conversation Stopper? How did it affect the conversation?
• What are some examples of Conversation Drivers you used during the activity? How did they improve the conversation?
• Why is it important to practice using Conversation Drivers in our daily interactions with others?
• Can you think of a situation where you might have used a Conversation Stopper unintentionally? How could you handle it differently next time?
• What strategies can you use to remind yourself to incorporate Conversation Drivers in your conversations?

Related Skills

Developing conversation skills is an essential aspect of Social-Emotional Learning. In addition to teaching students about Conversation Drivers and Stoppers, consider exploring these related skills:

• Active listening: Teach students to focus on understanding the speaker’s message and show empathy.
• Asking open-ended questions: Encourage students to ask questions that require more than a yes or no answer, promoting deeper conversations.
• Taking turns: Guide students in practicing patience and giving others the opportunity to speak.
• Respecting personal boundaries: Help students understand and respect the personal space and boundaries of others during conversations.
• Reading nonverbal cues: Teach students to recognize and interpret body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice.

Next Steps

Teaching Conversation Drivers and Stoppers is an essential part of fostering effective communication and Social-Emotional Learning in our students. To access more resources and sample materials for teaching these skills and others, sign up for free samples at Everyday Speech.