Introduction

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) plays a crucial role in the development of children and adolescents. One important aspect of SEL is teaching students how to communicate positively and mindfully with their peers. By learning to think before they speak and focus on positive aspects of a situation, students can avoid hurting others’ feelings and foster healthier relationships. In this blog post, we will explore an activity that requires no preparation or materials from the educator, discussion questions to stimulate further conversations, related skills, and next steps to help middle school students develop positive communication habits.

No-Prep Activity: The Compliment Sandwich

This activity, called the Compliment Sandwich, is designed to help students practice mindful responses and positive communication. It requires no preparation or materials from the educator and can be easily incorporated into a classroom setting.

1. Ask students to pair up with a partner.
2. Explain the concept of a “Compliment Sandwich” to the students. A Compliment Sandwich is a way to frame a potentially negative comment between two positive comments. This technique can help soften the impact of the negative comment and promote a more constructive conversation.
3. Ask students to take turns sharing a recent event or situation where they felt they could have communicated more positively. The partner should then practice creating a Compliment Sandwich using the information shared.
4. After both partners have shared, encourage the students to reflect on how the Compliment Sandwich technique made them feel and how it could be applied in their daily lives.

Discussion Questions

1. Why is it important to think before we speak, especially when discussing potentially hurtful topics?
2. How can using positive communication techniques, like the Compliment Sandwich, improve our relationships with others?
3. What are some other strategies we can use to communicate more positively and mindfully with our peers?
4. How can we practice being more aware of the impact our words have on others?
5. Why is it important to develop these positive communication skills during middle school?

Related Skills

Positive communication and mindful responses are just a few of the many skills that contribute to a student’s social-emotional development. Other important skills for middle school students include:

• Active listening: Paying close attention to the speaker, maintaining eye contact, and providing appropriate feedback during conversations.
• Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings and emotions of others, allowing for stronger connections and more compassionate communication.
• Conflict resolution: Using effective communication strategies to resolve disagreements and find mutually acceptable solutions.
• Resilience: The ability to recover from setbacks and maintain a positive outlook despite challenges.
• Self-awareness: Recognizing and understanding one’s own emotions, strengths, and weaknesses, and using this information to navigate social interactions effectively.

Next Steps

Implementing positive communication and mindful response techniques, like the Compliment Sandwich, in your classroom is just the beginning. To further support your students’ social-emotional development, consider exploring additional resources and activities. Sign up for free sample materials from Everyday Speech to access a wide range of SEL activities, videos, and lesson plans designed for middle school students. By incorporating these resources into your curriculum, you can help students develop the skills they need to communicate effectively, maintain healthy relationships, and navigate the challenges of adolescence.