Introduction

Effective communication is essential for students to express their feelings and emotions. In special education settings, it is critical for educators to provide students with appropriate tools and strategies to help them articulate their emotions. This blog post will outline a no-prep activity, discussion questions, and related skills to assist educators in teaching their students how to say how they feel using Social-Emotional Learning principles.

No-Prep Activity: Feelings Charades

This activity requires no preparation or materials from the educator. The objective of Feelings Charades is to help students practice expressing their emotions using “I feel…” statements. Here’s how to play:

1. Ask the students to sit in a circle.
2. Choose a student to start the game. The chosen student will think of an emotion and act it out without speaking.
3. The other students will guess the emotion being portrayed by the student.
4. Once someone guesses correctly, the student acting out the emotion will say, “I feel [emotion].” For example, if the emotion was happiness, the student would say, “I feel happy.”
5. Continue the game by choosing the next student to act out an emotion, and repeat the process.

Feelings Charades promotes open communication, self-awareness, and empathy, which are essential components of Social-Emotional Learning.

Discussion Questions

After completing the Feelings Charades activity, engage students in a discussion using the following questions:

1. Why is it important to express our feelings using words?
2. How do you feel when someone understands how you’re feeling? How do you feel when they don’t?
3. What are some other ways we can express our emotions?
4. How can using “I feel…” statements improve our relationships with others?
5. What strategies can we use to express our feelings when it’s difficult to find the right words?

Related Skills

Besides expressing feelings, other relevant skills for students in special education to develop include:

• Active listening: Teaching students to listen attentively and respond appropriately to others’ feelings and emotions.
• Empathy: Helping students understand and share the feelings of others, fostering a supportive and inclusive environment.
• Self-regulation: Guiding students in managing their emotions and behaviors, especially during challenging situations.
• Conflict resolution: Equipping students with the tools to effectively resolve disagreements and find solutions that benefit all parties involved.

Next Steps

Teaching students to express their feelings using “I feel…” statements is an essential skill that can greatly improve their communication and relationships with others. To further support your students’ emotional and social growth, consider signing up for free samples of skill-building materials from Everyday Speech. These resources can help you provide engaging and effective lessons that foster a positive learning environment for your students.