General: Perspective taking/ making impressions
What does it mean to take a different perspective?
To look at something in more than one way.
Laura is outside playing soccer with her friends. Some of Laura's friends are not the best at soccer. Laura starts screaming at her friends, and tells them "they're all terrible" "they're not helping", "they're making me lose".
What are Laura's friends thinking and feeling?
What could Laura think and do instead?
Thinking: Why is Laura so mean? I don't like playing with Laura. Laura is a bad sport. I'm not playing with Laura again.
Laura could tell herself "this is just a game, and I'm having fun". "My friends are doing the best that they can". "I'm not going to yell at them, because I don't want to hurt their feelings". "Maybe I need to take a break".
Your mom asks you to take out the garbage. You said you would, but forgot. How does mom feel?
- Annoyed
- Frustrated
- Angry
A girl is crying while her mom gives her a band-aid. Why is she sad?
She got hurt.
Tom wants cheese pizza and Jane wants pepperoni. They can only buy one pizza. What can they do?
1. Buy a half cheese/ half pepperoni pizza
2. Get a cheese pizza this time, and next time get pepperoni.
3. Get pepperoni this time, and get cheese next time.
How can you tell what someone is thinking or feeling?
- Their body language
- Their facial expressions
- What they say
In class Megan keeps blurting things out loud unrelated to what the class is talking about. What is Megan's teacher thinking?
- Megan isn't being polite.
- This isn't on topic.
A girl is sitting at a lunch table alone while the rest of the class sits together, talking and laughing. How is she feeling?
- Sad
- Left out
- Lonely
- Uncomfortable
- Awkward
A girl is sitting at a lunch table alone looking at her friends, while the rest of the class sits together, talking and laughing. She is feeling left out? Why?
She wants to eat lunch with her friends.
Macy is playing video games when Joe comes up and says its his turn to play. Macy wants to play more and doesn't want to leave the game. What can they do?
- Joe and Macy can take turns
- They can pick a two-player game
Why is perspective taking important?
Perspective helps us to understand situations from other positions, to consider other beliefs, experiences and view points. This gives us a better understanding and greater empathy. It reduces bias, judgement and reduces conflict.
It also helps us to better understand how someone is thinking or feeling.
Joe shows up to work at the grocery store with messy hair and his pajamas on. What would his boss think?
- This isn't professional.
- This isn't expected.
Jim, Bob, and Larry are talking during lunch. Jim and Bob start to laugh at an inside joke. Larry doesn't know what they're talking about, so he sits with them in silence.
What is Larry thinking? What could Jim and Bob do differently when they are hanging with other friends that aren't part of their inside jokes.
- Jerry may be feeling uncomfortable, sad, annoyed, left out.
- Jim and Bob could explain the inside joke.
- Jim and Bob could include Larry in the joke.
- Jim and Bob could create an inside joke with Larry.
Your boss told you to stock the shelf with the labels facing out. You put them facing in. He is feeling frustrated? Why?
You didn't follow directions.
Chis is feeling hungry. He opens the fridge, and gets out a package of pepperoni. His whole family likes to eat pepperoni as a snack. There are only 5 slices left. What should he do?
- Take one slice of pepperoni, and find another snack.
- Pick another snack and leave the rest for his family.
- Let his parent know that they are low on pepperoni.
What is an impression?
An impression of a person or thing is what you think they are like, usually after having seen or heard them.
Jan raises her hand, and has a difficult time letting other students have their turn to talk during class. Jan feels angry when the teacher calls on other students. How do Jan's classmates feel?
- This is rude.
- This is annoying.
- Why can't Jan let someone else share?
- This is frustrating.
- Jan needs to give someone else a chance to share.
At school Charlie talks to his friends about personal things going on with one of their classmates. What could the friend be feeling?
What is talking about personal issues of another person called?
How can we handle when someone tells us personal issues about someone else?
- Their friend may feel uncomfortable, annoyed, sad, unhappy, or confused.
- Gossip.
- Let our friend know that we don't want to be a part of this conversation, and that it doesn't involve us.
When should Terry talk with an adult about what Charlie is sharing?
Charlie is engaging in gossip. It's not Terry's business to know about what is happening with Sean. It's rude and not kind to share personal issues about another peer.
Terry should tell an adult (parent, teacher, therapist, doctor, or a safe adult) when a peer is being hurt or they are hurting someone.
Haley and Ashley are in the car with their mom. Ashley has a headache. Haley and mom are laughing and singing a song on the radio. What can Ashley do? What should Ashley not do?
Ashley should:
- Tell mom and Haley in a calm voice that she has a headache.
- Ask if they can lower the volume.
- Put on headphones if she has any.
Ashley should not:
- Yell at mom and Haley.
- Stamp her legs in the car.
- Blame her headache on them.
What influences an impression?
- How we look (do we have healthy hygiene)
- What we do/how we act (are we kind, mean, argumentative, bossy, know it all funny, helpful)
- What we say (how we speak when interacting with others)
When Stacey talks to other classmates, she only wants to talk about what she finds interesting. She tells other classmates their opinions and perspectives are wrong. Stacey talks over other classmates, and she interrupts them. What are her classmates thinking?
- Stacey is being rude.
- Stacey doesn't care about how I think or feel.
- I don't want to be friends with Stacey.
Patrick and Matt are talking to each other when all of a sudden Matt sneezes all over Patrick without covering his mouth or nose. How does Patrick feel?
-annoyed
-uncomfortable
-disgusted
-not clean
A friend just received news that their grandmother is in the hospital. They are worried? Why?
They received bad news.
John, Benny, and DeVaugn are hanging out together. John and Benny want to play video games, and DeVaugn wants to play outside. What should they do?
1. Let's play video games for 30 minutes, and then play outside.
2. Let's play outside for 30 minutes and then play video games.
3. Let's play outside today, and then when we hang out next we can play video games.
4. Pick out something that they all agree on.