Introduction
Disagreements are a part of life, and it’s essential for high school students to learn how to express their opinions respectfully. By teaching students to consider their tone of voice, word choice, and communication style, educators can help them navigate disagreements without causing offense or insult. This blog post will provide a no-prep activity, discussion questions, and related skills to help students practice respectful disagreement.
No-Prep Activity
This activity, called “Respectful Disagreement Role-Play,” requires no preparation or materials and can be easily implemented in the classroom. Have your students pair up and assign each pair a topic on which they will pretend to disagree. Topics can be academic or everyday subjects, such as a favorite book or a recent news event. Instruct the students to take turns expressing their opposing views while focusing on maintaining a respectful tone, word choice, and communication style. Encourage indirect disagreement, where appropriate, by talking around the issue rather than stating it directly. After the role-play, have the pairs discuss how they felt during the exercise and what they learned about respectful disagreement.
Discussion Questions
- Why is it important to show respect when disagreeing with others? How does it affect the person you are disagreeing with and those around you?
- What are some examples of respectful and disrespectful ways to express disagreement? How do they differ in tone, word choice, and communication style?
- How can indirect disagreement be more respectful than direct disagreement in certain situations? Can you think of a time when using indirect disagreement might be appropriate?
- What are some strategies for maintaining a respectful tone and word choice when you feel strongly about a topic or are frustrated with the person you are disagreeing with?
- How can practicing respectful disagreement help students develop better communication skills and relationships with their peers and teachers?
Related Skills
In addition to respectful disagreement, other relevant skills for high school students include active listening, empathy, perspective-taking, and conflict resolution. By developing these skills, students can better understand others’ viewpoints, respond empathetically, and navigate challenging situations with maturity. Educators can incorporate these skills into their curriculum to help students become well-rounded communicators and problem-solvers.
Next Steps
If you’re interested in incorporating respectful disagreement and other social-emotional learning skills into your classroom, consider signing up for free sample materials from Everyday Speech. These resources can help you seamlessly integrate valuable communication and relationship-building skills into your lesson plans, setting your students up for success in the classroom and beyond.
