Communication for Respect

Overview

In this lesson (Lesson 3 of 6), students practise communication skills that support respectful relationships: active listening, responding appropriately, and expressing feelings clearly. They apply these skills in guided group scenarios to build understanding and confidence with familiar audiences and learning purposes.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• demonstrate active listening during short conversations by using attentive body language and appropriate responses
• identify and express feelings using respectful, “I” statements
• practise turn-taking and responding to others in guided group role-plays
• reflect on how their communication affects a listener and the overall interaction

Success criteria

Students can:

• I can listen without interrupting and respond to show I understood
• I can use an “I feel…” statement to express my feelings respectfully
• I can take turns and use kind, clear words when speaking in a group
• I can describe one way my communication helped (or could improve)

Curriculum links

• English — EN2-OLC-01: communicate with familiar audiences for social and learning purposes by interacting, understanding and presenting
• Health (relationships focus) — students learn communication skills for positive interactions, including listening and expressing feelings safely and respectfully

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Welcome and purpose Teacher explains that today’s focus is communication for respectful relationships: active listening and expressing feelings. Students turn and talk: “What does active listening look or sound like?” and share one idea.

2. 5–12 min · Mini-lesson: active listening Teacher models “listen-look-think” with a quick example conversation (one student answers, teacher demonstrates a respectful response). Students practise together: in pairs, one person speaks for 20 seconds and the listener uses attentive body language and gives a brief understanding check (“So you mean…, did I get that right?”).

3. 12–20 min · Mini-lesson: expressing feelings Teacher introduces a simple structure for respectful feelings: “I feel … when … because …” and the safer alternative: avoid blaming words (“You always…”). Students complete a quick whole-class feelings sort on the board (teacher says a scenario; students suggest an appropriate “I feel…” response).

4. 20–33 min · Group practice: scenario role-plays Teacher sets up groups of 4 with roles (speaker, listener, observer, timekeeper) and gives each group two scenario cards. Students rotate roles after each scenario. Students practise:

• Scenario A: a classmate interrupts or doesn’t listen
• Scenario B: someone feels left out during a group task Observers use a short checklist: “Did the listener show understanding?” and “Did the speaker use an ‘I feel’ statement?”

5. 33–40 min · Whole-class debrief and feedback Teacher invites a few groups to share what worked best, prompting with: “What active listening move helped most?” and “How did the feeling statement change the conversation?” Students contribute one “glow” (what went well) and one “grow” (what to improve next time).

6. 40–45 min · Exit ticket (individual) Teacher hands out an exit slip with two prompts. Students answer independently:

• “One active listening thing I will do is…”
• “My ‘I feel… when…’ sentence would be…”

Resources

• Scenario cards (2 per group) for respectful listening and expressing feelings
• Roles cards for each group member (speaker, listener, observer, timekeeper)
• Active listening checklist for observers (simple tick-boxes)
• Feelings sentence frames (posted or on cards): “I feel… when… because…”
• Exit ticket slips (half-page) and pencils
• Timer (visible to students)

Assessment

• Teacher observes pair and group role-plays using the active listening and “I feel…” checklist cues (formative)
• Observer students record ticks for listening behaviours and respectful speaking (peer-supported formative)
• Exit ticket identifies whether students can form an “I feel…” statement and name an active listening strategy (summative-for-learning today)

Differentiation

• Provide sentence starters and a word bank of feelings (happy, worried, annoyed, left out, proud, upset) and action words (listen, wait, check, understand)
• For students needing support, allow choosing from two “I feel…” options rather than writing freely
• For advanced students, ask them to add a reason clause (“because…”) and a respectful request (“Can you…?”)
• For EAL learners, model the sentence frame orally first and allow responses using gestures or short phrases before full sentences
• Ensure roles rotate so every student has an opportunity to speak and to listen within a supportive structure