In this blog post, we will be discussing the importance of teaching students in special education to express their opinions and respect the differing opinions of others. This skill is an integral aspect of social-emotional learning, which helps students develop healthy relationships and effective communication skills. We will provide a no-prep activity, discussion questions, related skills, and next steps to support educators in teaching this valuable skill.

Introduction

Students in special education can sometimes struggle with understanding and expressing their opinions, as well as respecting the opinions of others. By teaching them how to effectively communicate their thoughts and feelings, and how to listen to and appreciate the perspectives of their peers, we can help them build stronger social connections and become more confident in their abilities.

No-Prep Activity: Opinion Charades

This activity requires no preparation or materials and can be easily adapted for students of all ages and abilities. To play Opinion Charades, follow these steps:

1. Divide the students into two teams.
2. Have one student from each team come to the front of the room.
3. Provide them with a topic, such as favorite season, favorite food, or favorite activity.
4. The students must then act out their opinion on the topic without using any words.
5. Their teammates must guess what their opinion is based on their actions.
6. Once the opinion has been guessed correctly, the other team takes their turn.
7. Continue playing until all students have had a chance to participate.

This activity encourages students to express their opinions in a fun and engaging way, while also teaching them to pay attention to the opinions of their peers.

Discussion Questions

After completing the activity, facilitate a discussion with your students using the following questions:

• How did it feel to express your opinion without using words?
• Were you able to understand your teammates’ opinions based on their actions? Why or why not?
• How can we show respect for someone’s opinion even if we don’t agree with them?
• Why is it important to listen to and consider the opinions of others?
• Can you think of a time when someone’s opinion was different from yours, but you still respected their perspective? How did that make you feel?

Related Skills

In addition to teaching students to express and respect differing opinions, there are several other related skills that can help them develop strong social-emotional abilities. These include:

• Active listening: Teaching students to listen attentively to others, ask clarifying questions, and provide feedback.
• Empathy: Encouraging students to put themselves in another person’s shoes and consider how they might feel in a given situation.
• Conflict resolution: Helping students develop strategies to resolve disagreements and find common ground.
• Self-awareness: Guiding students in recognizing their own emotions, strengths, and weaknesses.

Next Steps

If you’re interested in exploring more activities and resources to help teach your students to express and respect differing opinions, as well as other essential social-emotional learning skills, we invite you to sign up for free sample materials from Everyday Speech. With these resources, you can continue to support your students’ growth and development in a fun, engaging, and effective way.