Introduction

Communication skills are crucial for middle school students, as they navigate social situations and build relationships with their peers. One important aspect of communication is the ability to recognize when a conversation has gone off track and how to repair it. This blog post will introduce you to a no-prep activity called “Repair the Conversation,” which helps students practice getting conversations back on track, promoting social-emotional learning.

No-Prep Activity: Repair the Conversation

In this activity, students will analyze conversations, identify where they went off track, and brainstorm ways to get them back on track. Here’s how to play:

1. Divide students into pairs or small groups.
2. Provide each group with a scenario of a conversation that has gone off track. You can use the example provided later in this post, or create your own.
3. Ask the students to discuss the conversation and identify the following:
   • Realize the conversation is off track: What signs indicate that the conversation isn’t going smoothly?
   • Figure out where it went off track: What caused the conversation to derail?
   • Think of a way to get it back on track: How can the conversation be repaired and run smoothly again?
4. After the students have discussed their ideas, bring the class together and invite each group to share their insights and suggestions for repairing the conversation.

Example Scenario:

Alessandra: How was your weekend?
Mike: It was good! We worked on the base all weekend.
Alessandra: The base?
Mike: Yeah, and it took so long that we never even got to the body.
Alessandra: Whose body?

In this example, Alessandra is confused because she doesn’t know that Mike is talking about building a model rocket with his dad. Students can discuss how Mike could clarify his statement to get the conversation back on track.

Discussion Questions

1. Why is it important to recognize when a conversation has gone off track?
2. What are some common reasons that conversations get derailed?
3. How can we improve our listening skills to better understand others and keep conversations on track?
4. Can you think of a time when you had to repair a conversation? What did you do to get it back on track?
5. How does repairing conversations contribute to building positive relationships with others?

Related Skills

In addition to repairing conversations, there are other social-emotional learning skills that can help middle school students navigate social situations and build strong relationships. These include:

• Active listening
• Empathy
• Conflict resolution
• Assertiveness
• Nonverbal communication

Next Steps

Repairing conversations is an essential skill for middle school students to develop as they build relationships and navigate social situations. To further explore this skill and access additional resources, sign up for free samples of social-emotional learning materials at Everyday Speech. These resources can help you support your students as they strengthen their communication skills and foster positive connections with their peers.