Teach Relationship Skills
Teach Relationship Skills
Why should I do it:
- Interpersonal skills are an important part of students’ development
- Improves self-esteem
- Increases student buy-in
- Creates a more cohesive class and group
- Helps students help one another
- Increases instructional time
- Decreases time spent repeating directions, rehashing lessons, etc
- Improves students’ moods, affect, and emotional stability
- Helps students to interact with adults
- Helps students to elicit help from teachers and others
- Teaches students important life skills for dealing with others
- Reduces conflicts, arguing, and fighting
- Improves the environment of the room/school
- Helps students make and keep friends
- Improves coping skills
- Increases self-confidence
When should I do it:
- All students can benefit from being taught relationship skills
- With students who seem to be “loners”
- With students that are frequently involved or starting or taking part in drama
- With students that say no one likes them or they have no friends
- With students who have trouble asking for help
- When students seem socially awkward
- When students cannot get along with others
- When students instigate, annoy, bug, etc, others
- With students who are immature
- When other students shun, avoid, or ostracize others
- When students bully or are bullied
- When students create or spread rumors
- When students have trouble sharing, compromising, listening to others’ opinions, etc
- When students seem intolerant of others
How do I do it:
- IMPORTANT NOTE!
- At the Tier 1 Level, think of doing relationship skills lessons and interventions for the whole class or groups
- At the Tier 2 level, think of doing relationship skills lessons and interventions for groups and individuals
- At the Tier 3 level, think of customizing specific relationship skills lessons and interventions for specific students
- Use any opportunity to model and role play relationship skills, like when a student name calls and others choose not to play with them, when a student shares, when a student helps another, etc
- Teach lessons on relationships, friendships, getting along with others, tolerance, etc
- Take students aside to discuss and have them reflect on how their behaviors affect others, what behaviors would make others want to be friends with them, etc
- Have students partner up and work on projects together
- Assign work partners
- Help kids set goals with making friends or getting to know others
- Try the supports and resources below
Resources & Support for technique:
(Items with footnotes link to external websites)
- 50 Tips On How To Make Friends 1
- 6 Friendship Rules To Live By 2
- A Social Skills Lesson: What Is A Friend 3
- Assign a buddy or partner
- Caring Lesson Older Students 4
- Caring Lesson Younger Students 5
- Draw a picture or write in a journal
- Empathy 101: 1o Commandments Of Human Relationships 6
- Encourage interaction with a more self confident student
- Engage student
- Fact Sheet About Dating Violence.pdf 7
- Fairness Lesson Younger Students Activity 8
- Fairness/Justice Lesson Older Students Activity 9
- Friendship Lesson 10
- Getting Along With Parents Lesson 11
- Honesty Lesson 12
- How To Build Friendships With Good Listening Skills 13
- How To Make Friends And Get S Social Life 14
- How To Make Friends At School: Helping Your Pre-teen Overcome Shyness 15
- How to Socialize, Be Funny and Make Friends 16
- Integrity Lesson 17
- Interpersonal Skills 18
- Kid’s Health: Friendship 19
- Kid’s Health: Making Friends 20
- Kid’s Health: Peer Group Pressure 21
- Kid’s Health: Peer Groups 22
- Kid’s Health: Prejudice 23
- Kid’s Health: Problems With The Teacher 24
- Kid’s Health: Teasing Others And How To Stop 25
- Kid’s Health: What Is Diversity? 26
- Model appropriate language
- Natural consequences
- Preventing Conflicts & Violence Lesson 27
- Reassurance
- Reflection sheet
- Respect Lesson Older Students Activity 28
- Respect Lesson Younger Students Activity 29
- Respecting Others Lesson 30
- Social Skills Lesson Plan: Initiating Interaction With Peers 31
- Speak with student in hallway
- Speaking Of Sex Lesson 32
- Talk one on one with student
- Teach conflict resolution skills
- Teach coping skills
- Teach social skills
- Teaching empathy: Evidence-based tips for fostering empathy in children 33
- Trustworthiness Lesson Older Students Activity 34
- Trustworthiness Lesson Younger Students Activity 35
- Teaching Empathy 36
- Social Skills Stories, Games, Materials, & Resources 37
- PLAY SKILLS-BASED INTERVENTIONS.pdf 38
- Social Skills For Middle School Students 39
- How to Get Children to Overcome Shyness (video) 40
- Great Social Skills Training & Tips Geared Toward Adults But Easily Adapted And Applied Toward Children & Adolescents
- 10 Ways to Improve Your Interpersonal Skills 41
- Activities People Do When They Hang Around Each Other 42
- Dealing with anxiety & shyness in social situations and relationships 43
- At Times It’s Socially Practical To Know Things Other People Care About 44
- Being Honest With Yourself About Your Social Problems 45
- Being Too Negative Can Hinder Your Social Success 46
- Generally Improving Your Social Skills 47
- Coping With Nervousness 48
- Dealing With Regrets Caused By Your Poor People Skills 49
- Thoughts On How To Make Conversation 50
- Getting Along With New Groups 51
- How Being Less Naturally Social Can Affect Your Interpersonal Success 52
- How To Be More Friendly And Social 53
- How To Be More Fun 54
- How To Meet People 55
- How To Talk To Shyer and/or Less Social People 56
- How Your Interests Can Affect Your Social Success 57
- Common Worries Shy Or Insecure People Have 58
- Is Bitterness Holding You Back Socially? 59
- Is It Okay To Hang Out With Another Guy One On One? 60
- Is Thinking You’re Better Than Other People Holding You Back Socially? 61
- Learning To Make More Eye Contact With People 62
- Little Social Annoyances That Will Never Go Away 63
- Loosen Up To Be More Socially Successful 64
- Making Plans With People 65
- Mistakes Lonely People Often Make 66
- My Experience With Becoming More Self-Confident 67
- Other People Often Aren’t As Shallow As They Seem 68
- It’s Very Tricky To Know What You Want Socially 69
- Reflections on Being Defensive and Secretive 70
- Reflections On Getting Over Low Self-Esteem 71
- Some Interpersonal Pitfalls More Intellectual Types Can Fall Into 72
- Some Thoughts On The Point Of Small Talk 73
- Some Tips On How To Be Less Quiet In Conversations 74
- Some Ways People Are Mentally Lazy About Judging Others 75
- The Importance of Getting Your Appearance In Order 76
- The Importance Of Simplicity And The Basics In Social Interactions… 77
- Meeting People & Making Friends 78
- Thoughts On How To Be Funny 79
- Thoughts On How to Be More Interesting 80
- Thoughts On How To Make A Conversation 81
- Thoughts on Seeming Less Weird 82
- How To Mingle And Talk To People At Parties 83
- Ways People Can Unintentionally Leave Friends Out Of Social Events 84
- When People Say “How’s It Going?”, “What’s Up?” or “What’s New?” 85
- When You Feel Like Your Friends Suck 86
- Why You Need To Directly Practice Your Social Skills And How To Do It 87
- When Your Friends Tease You A Lot 88
Footnotes:
- Health and Life. 50 Tips on How to Make Friends. [http://healthlifeandstuff.com/2009/07/24-ways-to-make-friends-improve-relationships/].
- Stevenson, J. Six Friendship Rules to Live By
Friendship advice and tips for teens. [http://teenadvice.about.com/od/friends/tp/friendship_rules.htm]. - Webster, J. A Social Skills Lesson – What is a Friend Launching a Unit on Friendship with Students with Social Deficits. [http://specialed.about.com/od/characterbuilding/a/Whatfriend.htm].
- Elkind+Sweet Communications, Inc. Teaching Guide: CARING / COMPASSION for grades 7-12. [http://www.goodcharacter.com/ISOC/Caring.html].
- Elkind+Sweet Communications, Inc. Teaching Guide: CARING for grades 4-8. [http://www.goodcharacter.com/chron/caring.html].
- Salls, K. Empathy 101: Ten Commandments Of Human Relationships. [http://www.earthlingcommunication.com/a/interpersonal-skills/tips-starting-new-maintaining-relationships.php].
- The Dibble Institute. Facts About Dating Violence. [www.dibbleinstitute.org/Documents/Dating_Violence_Flier-2-1.pdf].
- Elkind+Sweet Communications, Inc. Teaching Guide: FAIRNESS / JUSTICE for grades 4-8. [http://www.goodcharacter.com/chron/fairness.html].
- Elkind+Sweet Communications, Inc. Teaching Guide: FAIRNESS / JUSTICE for grades 7-12. [http://www.goodcharacter.com/ISOC/Fairness.html].
- Elkind+Sweet Communications, Inc. Teaching Guide: Friendship for grades 5-9. [http://www.goodcharacter.com/BCBC/Friendship.html].
- Elkind+Sweet Communications, Inc. Teaching Guide: Getting Along with Parents for grades 5-9. [http://www.goodcharacter.com/BCBC/Parents.html].
- Elkind+Sweet Communications, Inc. Teaching Guide: HONESTY for grades 7-12. [http://www.goodcharacter.com/ISOC/Honesty.html].
- Scott, E. (2008). Build Friendships With Good Listening Skills. [http://stress.about.com/od/relationships/ht/howtolisten.htm].
- Succeed Socially. How to Make Friends And Get a Social Life. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/sociallife].
- Oliveri, D. (2007). How to Make Friends at School: Helping Your Pre-teen Overcome Shyness. [http://deniseoliveri.suite101.com/how-to-make-friends-at-school-a19774].
- Wiki How. How to Socialize, Be Funny and Make Friends. [http://www.wikihow.com/Socialize,-Be-Funny-and-Make-Friends].
- Elkind+Sweet Communications, Inc. Teaching Guide: INTEGRITY for grades 7-12. [http://www.goodcharacter.com/ISOC/Integrity.html].
- North Carolina State University Counseling Center. Interpersonal Skills. [http://healthcenter.ncsu.edu/counseling-center/resources/mental-health-and-wellness-topics/interpersonal-skills/].
- Women’s and Children’s Health Network, Child and Youth Health. Friendship. [http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetailsKids.aspx?p=335&id=1636&np=286].
- Women’s and Children’s Health Network, Child and Youth Health. Making Friends. [http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetailsKids.aspx?p=335&id=1705&np=286].
- Women’s and Children’s Health Network, Child and Youth Health. Peer group pressure. [http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetailsKids.aspx?p=335&id=1822&np=286].
- Women’s and Children’s Health Network, Child and Youth Health. Peer Groups. [http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetailsKids.aspx?p=335&id=1825&np=286].
- Women’s and Children’s Health Network, Child and Youth Health. Prejudice – not giving a ‘fair go’. [http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetailsKids.aspx?p=335&id=2348&np=286].
- Women’s and Children’s Health Network, Child and Youth Health. Problems with the teacher. [http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetailsKids.aspx?p=335&id=1586&np=286].
- Women’s and Children’s Health Network, Child and Youth Health. Teasing others and how to stop. [http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetailsKids.aspx?p=335&id=1625&np=286].
- Women’s and Children’s Health Network, Child and Youth Health. What is diversity. [http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetailsKids.aspx?p=335&id=2345&np=286].
- Elkind+Sweet Communications, Inc. Teaching Guide: Preventing Conflicts & Violence for grades 5-9. [http://www.goodcharacter.com/BCBC/PreventingConflicts.html].
- Elkind+Sweet Communications, Inc. Teaching Guide: RESPECT for grades 7-12. [http://www.goodcharacter.com/ISOC/Respect.html].
- Elkind+Sweet Communications, Inc. Teaching Guide: RESPECT for grades 4-8. [http://www.goodcharacter.com/chron/respect.html].
- Elkind+Sweet Communications, Inc. Teaching Guide: Respecting Others for grades 5-9. [http://www.goodcharacter.com/BCBC/RespectingOthers.html].
- Webster, J. Social Skills Lesson Plan — Initiating Interaction With Peers: Brainstorming, Scripting and Rehearsal for Social Success. [http://specialed.about.com/od/characterbuilding/a/socialskillsinitiate.htm].
- Elkind+Sweet Communications, Inc. Teaching Guide: Speaking of Sex for grades 5-9. [http://www.goodcharacter.com/BCBC/SpeakingSex.html].
- Dewar, G. (2009). Teaching empathy: Evidence-based tips for fostering empathy in children. [http://www.parentingscience.com/teaching-empathy-tips.html].
- Elkind+Sweet Communications, Inc. Teaching Guide: TRUSTWORTHINESS (including HONESTY) for grades 7-12. [http://www.goodcharacter.com/ISOC/Trustworthiness.html].
- Elkind+Sweet Communications, Inc. Teaching Guide: TRUSTWORTHINESS for grades 4-8. [http://www.goodcharacter.com/chron/trust.html].
- The Empathy Symbol: a symbol for today. Teaching Empathy. [http://www.empathysymbol.com/EmpathyInTheSchools.htm].
- Autism 4 Teachers. Social Skills. [http://www.autism4teachers.com/autism4teachers_008.htm].
- Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism. (2010). PLAY SKILLS-BASED INTERVENTIONS. [www.txautism.net/docs/Guide/Interventions/PlaySkillsBased.pdf].
- Contra Costa County Office of Education. Social Skills for Middle School Students. [http://www.cccoe.net/social/skillslist.htm].
- Hyde, R. How to Get Children to Overcome Shyness. [http://www.ehow.com/video_4440800_children-overcome-shyness.html].
- All Business. Ten Ways to Improve Your Interpersonal Skills. [http://www.allbusiness.com/improve-interpersonal-skills/15606969-1.html
]. - Succeed Socially. Things To Do With Other People. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/activities].
- Succeed Socially. Search: Dealing with anxiety & shyness in social situations and relationships. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/.search?results_page=searchresults.html&query=anxious+anxiety&name=Search].
- Succeed Socially. At Times It’s Socially Practical To Know Things Other People Care About. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/practicalskills].
- Succeed Socially. Some Ways People Can Excuse Their Legitimate Social Weaknesses. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/honest].
- Succeed Socially. Is Thinking You’re Better Than Other People Holding You Back Socially?. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/negativetoothers].
- Succeed Socially. Generally Improving Your Social Skills. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/index#socialskills].
- Succeed Socially. Search: Coping With Nervousness. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/.search?results_page=searchresults.html&query=Nervousness&name=Search].
- Succeed Socially. Dealing With Regrets Caused By Your Poor People Skills. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/regrets].
- Succeed Socially. Thoughts On How To Make Conversation. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/conversation].
- Succeed Socially. Hanging Out With New People Who All Know Each Other. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/groups].
- Succeed Socially. How Being Less Naturally Social Can Affect Your Interpersonal Success. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/lesssocial].
- Succeed Socially. How To Be More Friendly And Social. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/friendly].
- Succeed Socially. How To Be More Fun. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/morefun].
- Succeed Socially. How To Meet People. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/meetpeople].
- Succeed Socially. How To Talk To Shyer and/or Less Social People. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/shytalk].
- Succeed Socially. How Your Interests Can Affect Your Social Success. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/interests].
- Succeed Socially. Common Worries Shy Or Insecure People Have. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/shyworries].
- Succeed Socially. Is Bitterness Holding You Back Socially?. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/bitterness].
- Succeed Socially. Is It Okay To Hang Out With Another Guy One On One?. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/oneononewithguys].
- Succeed Socially. Is Thinking You’re Better Than Other People Holding You Back Socially?. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/negativetoothers].
- Succeed Socially. Learning To Make More Eye Contact With People. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/eyecontact].
- Succeed Socially. Little Social Annoyances That Will Never Go Away. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/annoyances].
- Succeed Socially. Loosen Up To Be More Socially Successful. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/loosenup].
- Succeed Socially. Making Plans With People. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/plans].
- Succeed Socially. Mistakes Lonely People Often Make. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/lonely].
- Succeed Socially. My Experience With Becoming More Self-Confident. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/confidence].
- Succeed Socially. Other People Often Aren’t As Shallow As They Seem. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/relate].
- Succeed Socially. It’s Very Tricky To Know What You Want Socially. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/knowwhatyouwant].
- Succeed Socially. Reflections on Being Defensive and Secretive. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/defensive].
- Succeed Socially. Reflections On Getting Over Low Self-Esteem. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/selfesteem].
- Succeed Socially. Some Interpersonal Pitfalls More Intellectual Types Can Fall Into. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/intellectual].
- Succeed Socially. Some Thoughts On The Point Of Small Talk. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/smalltalk].
- Succeed Socially. Some Tips On How To Be Less Quiet In Conversations. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/quiet].
- Succeed Socially. Some Ways People Are Mentally Lazy About Judging Others. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/judge].
- Succeed Socially. The Importance of Getting Your Appearance In Order. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/lookbetter].
- Succeed Socially. The Importance Of Simplicity And The Basics In Social Interactions…. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/simplicity].
- Succeed Socially. Meeting People & Making Friends. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/index#makingfriends].
- Succeed Socially. Thoughts On How To Be Funny. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/funny].
- Succeed Socially. Thoughts On How to Be More Interesting. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/interesting].
- Succeed Socially. Thoughts On How To Make A Conversation. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/conversation].
- Succeed Socially. Thoughts on Seeming Less Weird. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/weird].
- Succeed Socially. How To Mingle And Talk To People At Parties. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/howtomingleatparties].
- Succeed Socially. Ways People Can Unintentionally Leave Friends Out Of Social Events. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/unintentionalleftout].
- Succeed Socially. When People Say “How’s It Going?”, “What’s Up?” or “What’s New?”. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/howareyou].
- Succeed Socially. When You Feel Like Your Friends Suck. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/suckyfriends].
- Succeed Socially. Why You Need To Directly Practice Your Social Skills And How To Do It. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/socialskills].
- Succeed Socially. When Your Friends Tease You A Lot. [http://www.succeedsocially.com/tease].