What's the Vibe?
A classmate is talking to you, but their eyes keep darting to the clock, they are slowly leaning toward the door, and their feet are literally pointed down the hallway. What is their body language trying to tell you?
They desperately need to escape the conversation (or they really, really have to go to the bathroom).
How can you greet someone you have never met?
"Hi, My name is..... What is your name?"
A friend drops their backpack & everything falls out rolling all over the hallway. You are standing beside them. What can you do?
Help them gather all their items. It's ok to help others - it spreads kindness & shows others that you are a friend.
It's raining and your soccer game was cancelled. You feel sad. What is something you could do instead?
Play a game inside/ see if the team wants to meet for a slurpee instead / read a book or magazine/ watch a funny movie..
Today you notice that your friend is wearing a fancy dress. She is also wearing fancy shoes, makeup, and jewelry. Where might she be going? How can you comment on her outfit?
To a formal/fancy event like a party or a wedding. You can say "I love your dress, what's the occasion?"
What might a person think if you turn away while they are talking?
They might think you are not listening or interested in what you are saying. It's ok if you don't feel comfortable with eye contact. Just facing someone lets them know they have your attention & want to engage in conversation.
How should your have your body when you want to start a conversation?
Facing the person/still
You notice that your friend got a haircut. What is a kind way to How can you make a comment about it?
I love your hair! You got a new haircut! Do you love it? Be mindful of your tone & ensure you are speaking positively. We don't always have to give our opinions, we can focus on if they like the change.
Your friend borrowed your book. When they gave it back, it had several pages missing. How might you handle the problem?
Since it is a small problem, you might not mention to the friend, but in the future you might not loan books to that friend.
You are sitting at lunch and loudly start to tell a funny story about the time your best friend accidentally wore their slippers to the grocery store. Suddenly, your friend stops chewing their sandwich, looks at you with huge eyes, and dramatically shakes their head "no" while frantically tapping their index finger against their lips. What is this social cue telling you?
The social cue means code red - ALERT! That hilarious slipper story was supposed to be a top-secret vault item, not a lunchroom broadcast. It's time to read the room & abandon that story immediately (before your friend's face turns the color of a tomato). Bonus if you can give me an example of how you would pivot to talking about something else.
When you put up one finger in front of your body, what does that mean?
"Just a minute"
Your friend is telling you an incredibly long, detailed story about a dream they had about a talking potato. You are totally bored. What is a polite way to change the topic without hurting their feelings?
Wait for a pause, say "Wow, that's wild!", and then pivot: "Speaking of potatoes, what are you getting for lunch today?"
You notice that a friend has her shirt on backwards. How can you help her out?
Tell your friend (quietly & in private) that her shirt is on backwards. You can ask if they want to start a new trend & you will get in on it (winky face).
You feel very mad that you are late for your class. You wanted to be on time to make the art project. Is this a big problem or small problem. How should you handle?
Sometimes we will be late, and that is uncomfortable, but normally it is not a big problem. You can ask the teacher if it's okay to finish the art project over lunch on your own.
Your little brother trips up the stairs and scrapes his knee. What can you say and do to help him out?
Ask if he is ok and help him up. Get him to a trusted adult who can help bandage his leg if it's super bad. Sometimes it's ok to say something like "That step got me too. We need a sign that says Beware of Step, like it's an attack dog".
People often roll their eyes when they think something is silly or dumb. It is disrespectful to roll your eyes in a mean way.
What are 4 ways you can say goodbye at the end of a conversation?
Your friend is looking for her house key. She looks panicked. What should you do?
Help her look for her keys. If she is frazzled, she might not want to talk a lot but you can look around with her (bonus if you can show me what frazzled looks like).
You and your best friend spent all weekend planning to wear matching neon-green shirts to school on Monday. Monday morning arrives, you walk into class, and you see your friend forgot and is wearing a bright red shirt instead. On a scale of 1 to 10, what level problem is this, and how can you stay positive?
It is a Level 1 problem (a total friendship glitch, definitely not an emergency). You can stay positive by realizing that you didn't fail the twin-day, you just got a head start...
You walk up to a group of your classmates who are huddling in a circle, laughing hysterically and talking about a hilarious video they all watched last night. You want to join in, but you don't want to just rudely barge in and shout over everyone. What is the ultimate polite way to interrupt and join the circle?
First, you use your social cues to read the room and smile or laugh along with the joke. Then, you wait for the laughter to die down for a brief pause, and politely add "That sounds amazing, what video are you guys talking about?" or "Sounds hilarous, you gotta show me that later!"
How can you show "whole body listening"?
Face the person, keep your mouth quiet while listening, listen closely to what they say so that you can comment too
If a person is talking about a certain topic, like football, what should your comment be about?
Football (Make a related comment)
You want to show your family member or friend that they mean a lot to you. What are three ways you can show love to a family member or friend?
Ask for a hug, write them a letter, make some art or a poem, give a gift, ask to hang out...
You forgot to bring your backpack to school. How can you handle the problem?
Let a teacher know that you forgot your backpack. Use this opportunity to think of a way that you might remember better in the future like a note on the door or in your shoe to remember.
A friend is sighing and looking down at their math page. The friend has their shoulders slumped and their face in a frown and their head is resting in their hand. How do you think your friend might feel?
Worried, sad, frustrated...