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Teaching Tools

Youths Personal Health

Mixed Messages – organising your thoughts helps us to be more easily understood not only by others but, ourselves too!

 

Teaching students how to really understand others is a skill.  Communication can be the hardest bit to teach.

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I like to use props in many of my teaching classes but that isnt always possible in communication - try and make it fun and understandable, not complicated. 

Private Thoughts

 

Discussions are a great way to really get inside their heads.

 

Ask your students to describe their personal problem - in writing or pictures

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Then discuss:

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  • How do others see you problem? 

  • Whats do you want others to say or do?

  • How would you like the 'problem' to be fixed?

  • Where or who do you think you could find support or advice

  • Ask them if a younger person came to them with the same problem - what would be your advice to them? 

Questions - Answers

 

Hand out to your students a small piece of card or paper, ask each one to write down one question they would like answered  - today!  These can be written at any time during class, about any subject. 

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These are anonymous - no names

Put them in a box or jar in the middle of the table - after each discussion bring out one or two - read out and answer - if appropriate you can put the question out to the class to hear the other students responses. 

Empathy

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Walk a mile in another persons shoes - Understanding 

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Read and then discuss the questions below with your students. Really try and draw out of them their own experiences and how in an ideal the situations should be handled. 

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  1. A group of students is milling about in the hallway.  Sue  teases Alice who is a younger student, who is looking down and miserable. Alices answers back in retaliation, the argument escalates to a full on argument!

 

  • What is Sue feeling ? What is Alice feeling?

  • Was Sue acting out of malice?

  • Was Alice retaliating out of frustration?

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2. You are excited to go out with a group of friends. You have your outfit planned. Then your period arrives, you are feeling fed up, frustrated.

 

  • You have 2 choices go out with your friends and continue as normal

  • You decide to stay at home, not feeling you are wanting to face the world!

 

Which one would you choose and why?

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3. Sarah is telling her friend Joanne about how hurt she about the break up with her boyfriend. Joanne isn’t really listening and keeps changing the subject. What options does Sarah have?

 

  • Tell Joanne that its obvious she isn’t interested

  • Let it go as Joanne obviously has something else on her mind?

 

Which one would you choose and why?

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4. Patricia is 11 years old and she approaches you and tells you she thinks she is dying = she has started bleeding and is scared

 

  • What would you say to her?

  • How would you feel?

  • What practical advice would you offer her?

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