Introduction

Active listening is an essential social skill that helps students build strong relationships and engage in meaningful conversations. It involves not only hearing what someone else is saying but also showing that they are genuinely interested and attentive. In this blog post, we will discuss an easy-to-implement, no-prep activity that educators can use to teach high school students how to show they are actively listening during conversations. Additionally, we will provide discussion questions and related skills to further enhance students’ social-emotional learning.

No-Prep Activity: The Listening Relay

The Listening Relay is an engaging activity that requires no prior preparation or materials from the educator. Here’s how it works:

1. Divide students into pairs or small groups.
2. Ask one student to share a story or experience with their partner or group.
3. While the student is speaking, the listeners must demonstrate active listening skills by using their body language, such as maintaining eye contact, nodding, and facing the speaker.
4. After the first student finishes sharing their story, ask the listeners to summarize what they heard and provide feedback on the speaker’s feelings and emotions.
5. Rotate roles within the pairs or groups, allowing each student to practice both speaking and active listening.

This activity promotes active listening skills by encouraging students to practice using their body language to show they are engaged and attentive during conversations. It also helps students develop empathy and understanding by discussing the speaker’s feelings and emotions.

Discussion Questions

• Why is it essential to show that we are actively listening during conversations?
• How can active listening improve our relationships with others?
• What challenges do you face when trying to maintain active listening, and how can you overcome them?
• How can understanding someone’s feelings and emotions during a conversation benefit both the listener and the speaker?
• What other strategies can you use to enhance your active listening skills?

Related Skills

Apart from active listening, there are other relevant skills that high school students can benefit from, including:

• Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others, which can be enhanced through active listening.
• Effective communication: Expressing thoughts and feelings clearly and respectfully during conversations.
• Conflict resolution: Using active listening to understand different perspectives and find solutions to disagreements.
• Emotional regulation: Managing emotions during conversations and responding appropriately to others’ feelings.

Next Steps

Teaching active listening skills is an essential aspect of fostering social-emotional learning in high school students. By incorporating the Listening Relay activity and engaging in discussions, educators can help students develop these crucial skills. To explore more resources and sample materials related to active listening and other essential social skills, sign up for free samples at Everyday Speech.