Introduction

As educators, it’s crucial to teach middle school students the importance of appropriate social interaction, including the difference between making eye contact and staring. In this blog post, we will discuss a no-prep activity to help students understand how their actions can affect others and why it’s essential to be mindful of our behavior, especially when interacting with people we’re interested in or think are attractive. We will also provide discussion questions and mention other related social-emotional learning skills.

No-Prep Activity

This activity is designed to help students recognize the difference between eye contact and staring without requiring any preparation or materials from the educator. Begin by dividing the students into pairs. Ask them to take turns practicing the following two scenarios:

1. Student A makes eye contact with Student B for a few seconds while having a conversation.
2. Student A stares at Student B for an extended period without speaking.

After each student has had a chance to practice both scenarios, bring the class back together for a group discussion. Ask students to share their experiences and thoughts on how they felt during each scenario. This will encourage students to reflect on the impact of their actions and understand the importance of treating others with respect and consideration.

Discussion Questions

1. How did it feel to make eye contact with your partner during a conversation? How did it feel to be stared at for an extended period?
2. Why is it important to be aware of how our actions, like staring, can make others feel uncomfortable?
3. What are some strategies we can use to remind ourselves not to stare at someone we find attractive or interesting?
4. How can we practice making appropriate eye contact when talking to others?
5. What other social-emotional learning skills are related to understanding the difference between eye contact and staring?

Related Skills

There are several other related social-emotional learning skills that can help students develop healthy and respectful relationships with others. Some of these skills include:

• Active listening: Encouraging students to fully engage in conversations and show genuine interest in what others have to say.
• Empathy: Teaching students to put themselves in others’ shoes and understand their feelings and perspectives.
• Respectful communication: Helping students learn to express their thoughts and feelings in a respectful and considerate manner.
• Body language awareness: Guiding students to recognize and interpret non-verbal cues from others, such as facial expressions and gestures.
• Conflict resolution: Equipping students with strategies to effectively address and resolve conflicts in a respectful and constructive way.

Next Steps

Teaching middle school students the difference between eye contact and staring is an essential part of their social-emotional learning journey. To further support your students in developing these and other related skills, we invite you to sign up for free samples of our resources at Everyday Speech. By incorporating these materials into your lessons, you can help students build a strong foundation for effective communication and healthy relationships.