Teach social skills

Why should I do it:

Many students lack basic social skills
Increases instructional time
Improves student interactions
Increases student productivity
Helps students improve daily social functioning
Helps students make friends
Teaches students essential life skills
Helps students to fit in
Helps students to function better in classes
Teaches students to follow rules, expectations, procedures, etc
Increases self confidence, self concept, and self esteem
Gives students a common “language”
 

When should I do it:

It is important to teach all students appropriate social skills with any and all opportunities
When students have poor hygiene
When students seem out of place, ostracized, or isolated
When students exhibit poor social routines, like taking turns, sharing, waiting in line, shaking hands, poor eye contact, etc
When students are rude, short, pushy, etc
When students demonstrate poor personal care habits, like blowing nose, using a napkin, etc
When students appear socially awkward, weird, out of place, etc
When students are perceived as weird and strange by the class
When students do or say weird, silly, inappropriate, or out of place things
 

How do I do it:

In the realm of social skills, there is a broad range of skills and topics, as well as a good deal of overlap with other skills, like interpersonal skills, coping skills, etc
Some common areas for social skills instruction include:
Hygiene
Manners
Listening
Being polite
Being considerate
Being respectful
Sharing
Taking turns
Appropriate words
Appropriate touch
How to behave in the halls, lunchroom, during instruction, etc
Etc