Introduction
Filtering thoughts is a crucial social skill that helps maintain healthy relationships and promote positive social interactions. This blog post will discuss the importance of teaching high school students to think before they speak and provide an engaging no-prep activity, discussion questions, and related skills to help educators incorporate this valuable skill into their curriculum.
No-Prep Activity: Thought Filtering Roleplay
This activity requires no preparation or materials from the educator. Begin by dividing the class into groups of three or four students. Assign each group a scenario in which they must act out both an unfiltered and filtered response. For example:
- Scenario 1: A classmate has made a presentation and asks for feedback.
- Scenario 2: A friend is wearing a new outfit and wants to know what everyone thinks.
- Scenario 3: A team member has made a mistake during a group project and wants to know how to improve.
Students should first act out the scenario without using a filter, demonstrating how unfiltered thoughts can hurt others’ feelings. Then, they should repeat the scenario, this time using a filter and considering the impact of their words before speaking. After each group has completed both versions of their assigned scenario, encourage them to discuss the differences they noticed and the importance of filtering thoughts in real-life situations.
Discussion Questions
- How can filtering thoughts benefit both the speaker and the listener in social situations?
- What are some potential consequences of not filtering thoughts before speaking?
- Can you think of a time when you didn’t filter your thoughts and hurt someone’s feelings? How did you handle the situation afterward?
- How can we practice filtering our thoughts on a daily basis?
- How can we support others in developing their thought-filtering skills?
Related Skills
In addition to filtering thoughts, several other social-emotional learning skills can help promote positive social interactions. These include:
- Active listening: Paying close attention to what others are saying and responding thoughtfully.
- Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others, which can help guide our responses.
- Assertiveness: Expressing oneself in a respectful and confident manner while considering the feelings of others.
- Conflict resolution: Resolving disagreements in a positive and constructive way.
- Self-awareness: Recognizing one’s own emotions and how they can impact interactions with others.
Next Steps
Teaching high school students to filter their thoughts is an essential component of social-emotional learning. To help you incorporate this skill and others into your curriculum, we invite you to sign up for free samples of our materials at Everyday Speech. These resources can provide you with engaging activities and tools to promote the development of healthy social skills in your students.
