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:

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