Social Inferencing
Someone looks at you, smiles, and waves at the lockers. Are they interested in talking to you? And if so how would you approach this person?
It is likely they want to talk to you because these types of body language indicate friendliness and interest. Saying hi back or asking how they are doing is a good start.
What might kids think when they say "hi" to you and you don't respond?
They may think you're rude and may stop reaching out
Every day after work Paul took his muddy boots off on the steps of the porch. Alice would have a fit if the boots made it so far as the welcome mat. He then took off his dusty overalls and threw them into a plastic bag, Alice left a new garbage bag tied to the porch railing for him every morning.
What type of job does Paul do?
You are at the mall with your mom to shop for new clothes. You sit in a chair in the store play video games while your mom looks for clothes you can try on. What is mom thinking in this situation?
Mom is likely upset because she wanted to spend time with you and shop together
How can you tell if someone feels embarrassed?
Their face might get red and they might look away.
Crack! Thunder struck and rain poured. Max stared blankly out of the window, trying to contain his emotions that raged like the weather. He was begining to lose it. Dropping the kite from his hand, Max broke out into full sobs. His mother comforted him. We'll just find something else to do. She began to unpack the picnic basket that was on the counter and offered him a sandwich.
Why is Max upset?
You complain all the time to your friends even if they were talking about something unrelated. How do they feel about you?
They are likely not feeling heard and negativity can be hard to constantly be around so they may want space.
What would you do if you felt something was acceptable but everyone else felt it was annoying?
Self awareness is important so looking around and realizing maybe I should stop doing something if people don't like it or it is making them uncomfortable
Tommy! Mom called out as she walked in the front door. Tommy she continued shouting. I sure could use some help with these groceries. There was still no reply. Mom walked into the kitchen to put the grocery bags down on the counter when she noticed shattered glass from the picture window all over the living room floor and a baseball not far from there. Mom shouted as she realized that Tommy's shoes were gone.
Why did Tommy leave and what details lead you to this conclusion?
You friend doesn't answer your text so you continue to send texts every 5 minutes until they respond. What might you friend be thinking?
The friend may be busy and that is why they aren't answering. Now that they have so many texts they may be overwhelmed and this has a poor reflection on you.
Do: fidget with something, silently draw on paper, look at the teacher and doze off
Don't: put your head on the desk, sleep, talk to friends
Today was a special day in Ms. Smith's class. Some of the students were walking around the room, some of them were standing in small groups, and some of them were at their desks, putting touches on cardboard mailboxes. After coloring a cool flame on the side of his racecar mailbox, Johnny hopped off his chair, strutted over to Veronica's desk, and dropped a small white envelope into her princess castle mailbox. Veronica blushed and played with her hair.
Who does Veronica like?
You are waiting at the movies for a friend to come. They are 20 minutes late. You call them and scream at them loudly on the phone. How is this perceived? How could you approach this differently?
The friend is feeling hurt and this is not productive. Yelling typically escalates a situation and now both people don't feel heard. Instead express your disappointment in a calm manner.
Give an example of a big problem and a small problem. What happens if you have a big reaction to a little problem?
Big problem: loss in the family, you're hurt, something breaks, etc.
Small problem: lost a pencil, got to class late, etc.
A big reaction to a small problem may stress yourself out more. You may not think logically and come up with a solution that isn't very helpful.
Anastasia sat by the fountain in the park with her head in her palms. She was weeping mournfully and her clothing was disheveled. In between gasps and sobs, Anastasia cried out a name: "Oh... John..." And then her cell phone beeped. Her hand ran into her purse and her heart fluttered. The text message was from John. She opened up the message and read the few bare words, "I need to get my jacket back from you" Anastasia threw her head into her arms and continued sobbing.
Where does this story take place?