Category: Interpersonal Relationships

Importance of Small Talk

There was a time when keeping students quiet was a challenge because all they wanted to do was talk! Now, not so much! Sadly, many students want to avoid
talking to you, their peers or anyone else at all costs. Importance of Small Talk is a great lesson to use with students at the beginning of the school year, new semester or even as part of a communication unit. Not only does this lesson give insight on the importance of small talk, but it encourages small talk among students and helps build relationships as they get to know each other! Continue reading to learn more…

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Relationship Videos

Movies and movie clips can be a great way to add and increase interest to a lesson or topic. Jeff Brown, of Colorado, teaches a Psychology of Relationships
course (any many others) at Rampart High School and has an amazing collection of Relationship Videos that he has created for that class.  He is graciously sharing his video collection with us, along with his websites which are chocked full of materials for various content areas.  So, if you’ve been struggling to add more interest and engagement to your relationship lessons, you are definitely going to want to check these out!

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Mental Health Awareness: Chalk the Walks

Not only is May designated as Mental Health Awareness month, but for many schools it’s also the end of the school year!  As the year winds down, students get
antsy and yearn to be outdoors as the weather gets nice.  Why not combine the two by getting students outside to create sidewalk art that celebrates mental health awareness?  Continue reading Mental Health Awareness: Chalk the Walks to learn more!

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Crayon Life Lessons

Who knew something as simple as crayons could teach some important life lessons? The Crayon Life Lessons teaches students a variety of lessons about acceptance, diversity and uniqueness that can be used in all settings from home, to school, to work in a unique way. I used it in my child development classes, but it could be used in any class as an enrichment activity!

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Safe Sitter Breakout

Arlene DeJoy Meckes (from Twins & Teaching) and I teamed up to bring you this Safe Sitter Breakout. This assignment is perfect for engaging students, especially middle schoolers around the importance of safety while babysitting. The beauty of this breakout is two-fold…one, it is completely digital, so there’s no need for physical locks and boxes. Second, it is an individual breakout so students do their own work, at their own pace. Check it out!

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Dating Violence Memoirs

When teaching about dating violence, there is a victim, an abuser and usually a bystander. In the movie or case study, “No One Would Tell”, referenced in this post, these roles are clearly portrayed. The Dating Violence Memoirs is a follow-up project to that case study, focusing directly on the narratives of these characters. Read on to learn more…

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

True Friends vs Toxic Friends

True Friends vs Toxic Friends was a big hit with my students! It provides discussion as well as interactive, engaging and creative activities! I taught true friends vs toxic friends to a mixed class of high school students, but this lesson could easily be done with middle schoolers as well!

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Communication Styles

After teaching my students about communication skills, I decided to spend a couple of days going over the different communication styles. The three communication styles consist of passive, aggressive and assertive. The best part of this lesson was the enthusiam my students exhibited when creating video skits of the communication styles based on selected scenarios. Wonder why? The video skits was their idea, so naturally they bought into it!

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

POP! Figure Project

Because of the recent popularity Funko Pop characters have gained on TikTok, this fun POP! Figure Project was created and shared by Cayla Young of Texas! While she uses it with her Culinary Arts students, there are a variety of ways to incorporate the project into other classes.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Top 10 Lists…Video Style

Some of you may remember the Late Show with Dave Letterman! One of his regular features included his infamous top 10 lists in descending order from 10 to 1, adding his own a touch of humor and sarcasm as he shared! I have been using written top 10 lists for years and was excited when Matt Miller of Ditch That Textbook shared his version utilizing Flipgrid. This Top 10 Lists…Video Style post shares how to present the lists via Flipgrid with some of ideas for topics. Help add to the list by sharing additional topics!

Print Friendly, PDF & Email