Teach and practise interpersonal skills
Teach, practise and reinforce interpersonal skills.
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Respond to needs
Respond to needs
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Decide on goals and values with the student and their team.
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Describe the goal in measurable terms.
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Use a range of teaching techniques (for example, structured discussions, social stories).
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Support mastery and generalisation through role-playing and applying skills in different scenarios.
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Transition from structured teaching to everyday situations – the student may need support to achieve this.
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Check for social validity – can the student use the new skills in different situations?
Teach how to use an I-message
Teach how to use an I-message
Instead of saying, “You stole my pencil” or “Give me back my pencil”... try an I-message.
- I feel anxious that I won’t be able to finish my work on time when you borrow my pencil.
- I would like you to give me back my pencil.
Practise by writing or performing short plays, drawing cartoons, making posters, writing dialogue.
Explore ways to respond
Explore ways to respond
Closed Captions
Provide opportunities for success
Provide opportunities for success
Celebrate diversity by providing opportunities for ākonga to work with others, using their strengths.
Carefully design group or pair-based activities to suit learners and maximise productive interactions.
- Encourage tuakana-teina relationships and create a culture where students provide support for each other.
- Develop cross-cultural communication skills, learning about how conventions for conversation vary across cultures and contexts.
- Teach specific speaking and conversation skills. For example, rehearse ways to start and close a conversation, and to keep the conversation flowing.
- Practise conversation skills, where appropriate for the students, such as maintaining personal space between people, using eye contact, facial expressions and taking turns.
- Provide strategies to help students to listen actively to each other, share ideas, and recognise different points of view. For example, use thinking tools such as De Bono’s thinking hats.
- Create social stories that break down a task or social situation into small and easy-to-understand steps, accompanied by descriptive pictures.
- Monitor discussions to ensure that all students understand the task and have opportunities to participate.
Useful resources
Useful resources
Kindness and friendship activities
The Sparklers website offers a range of free activities for kindness and friendship.
Publisher: Sparklers
Understanding social and emotional learning
Health and PE curriculum resources to support social and emotional learning. Includes Ata and Oho cards and activities.
Publisher: Ministry of Education | Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga
He Māpuna te Tamaiti
Resources to help teachers support social and emotional competence in early learning.
Publisher: Ministry of Education | Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga
Next steps
More suggestions for implementing the strategy “Embed social and emotional learning”:
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Current page Teach and practise interpersonal skills
Return to the guide “Behaviour and learning”
How to use this site
Guide to Index of the guide: Behaviour and learning
Understand:
Strategies for action:
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Commit to whole-school approachesShow suggestions for Commit to whole-school approaches
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Foster relationships and partnershipsShow suggestions for Foster relationships and partnerships
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Design learning for allShow suggestions for Design learning for all
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Foster wellbeing and mental healthShow suggestions for Foster wellbeing and mental health
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Embed social and emotional learningShow suggestions for Embed social and emotional learning
- Teach social and emotional skills
- Support communication and self advocacy
- Teach students to enact school values
- Teach and practise interpersonal skills
- Offer social and emotional supports
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Be proactiveShow suggestions for Be proactive
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Respond in challenging situationsShow suggestions for Respond in challenging situations
Social stories and scripts
Social stories and scripts
Create multiple opportunities for students to practise how to communicate and manage themselves in social situations.
Repetition helps embed skills and builds confidence and understanding.
Source: POPFASD (Canada) (opens in a new tab/window)
No captions or transcript
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWRoE1YnO371Fc_hWx6Pnhg