Overview For Teachers

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION: The ability to display appropriate listening, nonverbal, verbal, interpersonal, and written skills; send a consistent, clear, concise, and courteous message that is easily understood by the receiving party; ask questions, clarify or summarize, and provide feedback to ensure the message has been understood; the ability to read and interpret documents and instructions clearly and correctly; the ability to give and receive information and convey ideas and opinions with others.

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PURPOSE: Upon completion of this module, the student will understand the importance of effective communication in the classroom as well as the workplace. In addition, the objectives listed below should be met.

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OBJECTIVES:

 The ability to demonstrate appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication skills

 The ability to ask relevant questions as well as answer questions thoughtfully

 The ability to communicate effectively through writing

 The ability to read and follow directions correctly and in a timely manner

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OVERVIEW:

This module focuses on teaching students the importance of being an effective communicator in all types of settings . Students will work to improve both their verbal and non-verbal communication skills . This module will discuss different types of communication and how each one plays an important role in being successful at school and at work.

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TEACHERS: WHAT ARE YOU OBSERVING?

What does effective communication look like in the classroom or in school in general? A great way to answer this and get things going is through engagement with the students. Ask your students these questions:

1. What does effective communication look like in class?

2. How does your ability to communicate affect others? Example: teachers, classmates, group projects, etc.

3. What does effective communication look like within your learning?

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RELEVANCY OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION:

Employers have expressed that the ability to effectively communicate is crucial to an employee’s long -term success.

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LESSON:

Non-Verbal Communication
Time Allocation: 20  minutes
Materials/Resources: whiteboard, markers, computers/tablets/smartphones (students - optional), small pieces of paper with
different emotions written on them (Afraid, Angry, Bored, Confused, Excited, Frustrated, Happy, Stressed, Shy, Sad, Proud, Surprised, Ashamed, Nervous)

ANTICIPATORY SET IDEA:

Split the class into 3-4 groups and have each group find some space within the classroom.
 Instruct the students that you need to form a straight line from tallest to shortest.
 Give each group a few minutes to accomplish this task and when they are finished, have everyone in the group raise their hand so you can check their work.
 If they are arranged correctly, they get one point but if they are incorrect, the other teams get a point.
 Now, instruct students to line up according to birthday but this time, they MAY NOT talk.
 When groups are finished, they all must raise their hand silently and you will check their work.
 If they are correct, they receive a point but if they are incorrect, the other teams will get a point.
 When the activity is finished, ask the class the following questions for a short class discussion.
   o How difficult was it to arrange your group correctly without being able to talk?
   o Did it take your group longer to get arranged when you couldn’t talk? What does that imply about our ability to speak and c                       Communicate?

WATCH THE VIDEO:

DIRECT INSTRUCTION:

Ask the class to list all the different types of communication – write this list on the whiteboard.
  o Verbal
  o Non-Verbal
  o Written
  o Interpersonal
 Ask students which one they believe is used most often.
  o They should say “Verbal” or “Written” – such as emailing or texting.
 Inform students that today they are going to focus on non-verbal communication. Ask students to list the different ways to communicate non-verbally. Write this list on the whiteboard.
  o Facial expressions
  o Body language
  o Hand gestures
  o Eye contact

GUIDED ACTIVITY:

Put students in groups of 3-4 and give each group a few pieces of paper that have the emotions written on them. Students will take turns choosing a piece of paper and acting out the emotion non-verbally (no talking allowed). Their group members will attempt to guess what emotion they are acting out.
 After each student has had at least 1-2 turns, come back together as a class for a short discussion using the following questions:
  o How easy was it to guess the emotion being acted out?
  o What was challenging about this activity?
  o What would have changed about the game if you could have talked? Would it have been easier or harder?
  o What type of body language should you portray at work? At school?
  o Why is important for your verbal and non-verbal communication to match?

CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING:

 Technology Use: Create a short survey with Survey Monkey to check for understanding with the students that they will complete before they leave for the day.

 Non-Technology: Students will pair up with another student to share their thoughts on the lesson. Then, they will report out to the class during the discussion one thing they learned from their partner about the lesson.

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ETHICAL SCENARIO--Optional (if not using, skip  to "review and closing")

The Ethical Choice Scenarios have been developed to provide teachers with the ability to make the material applicable to real-life and relevant to the students. Within this guide, directions and prompts for the teacher will be in BLUE for ease of facilitation.

 

READ THE FOLLOWING SCENARIO OUT LOUD TO THE STUDENTS: 

DUMPING PROCEDURES
You know having the ability to effectively communicate with people is important. Clearly communicating your message is the easy part in this situation – you want to break up! It isn’t that you don’t like the person, you just aren’t good for one another as partners. No, the hard part in this situation is how to communicate that message. Should you just text them, I mean that would be SO much easier to not have to deal with them in person... or maybe an email. You could even call them and tell them, but in person, YIKES! You are not good at confrontation – what if they get mad? How should this message be communicated?

ASK THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: (display them to the class if necessary)

1. How many of you have already been faced with this scenario is real life?
2. What are the possible positive outcomes of telling them in person? What about texting/emailing them?
3. What are possible negative consequences of telling them in person? What about texting/emailing them?

GUIDED DISCUSSION: ASK STUDENTS TO SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE SITUATION AND HOW THEY ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS.

NOTE 1 : To help facilitate discussion, share any personal experiences you may have encountered with this same sort of issue.

NOTE 2 : Another option to foster further critical thinking is to then ask students, “How would you want someone to communicate this to you, if the role were reversed?”

NOTE 3 : Another option to foster further critical thinking is to then ask students , “ What values do you think are in tension here, why is it an ethical dilemma?”

CLOSING DISCUSSION: ASK THE STUDENTS , “IS NON -VERBAL COMMUNICATION JUST AS IMPORTANT AS VERBAL COMMUNICATION ?”

REVIEW AND CLOSING:

Show students this short clip on non-verbal communication.

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 Have them share their thoughts with the class when the video is over.

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CORRELATION TO OBSERVATION TOOL: The Frequency Observation Tool (FOT) has a category where students will be observed and rated on their non-verbal communication skills. This lesson will give student the opportunity to practice using their non-verbal communication skills in many different activities

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION IDEAS:

-Visual: Visual learners will benefit from having a printed copy of the article. They would also benefit from having the definitions and the questions written on the whiteboard.

-Auditory: Auditory learners will benefit from the group and class discussions.

-Kinesthetic: To benefit kinesthetic learners, you could allow them to move around the room as they read the article. They will also benefit from writing down the steps and the brainstorming ideas in the Guided Activity

-ESL: It might be helpful for the ESL students to partner up with another student in class in case they need further clarification but they will also benefit from the group and class discussion as well as interacting with their peers.

-At-risk: At -risk students will benefit from the constant engagement in this lesson that will encourage them to stay on task.

-Advanced: Advanced learners could benefit from helping other students write down their schedules, or by assisting ESL or At -risk students who may need additional help .