Self Management Grade 6 – Lesson 2
Objectives:
- Students will be able to explain effective listening components, such as posture, facing the speaker, and summarizing.
- Students will be able to engage mindfully in interactive activities to develop listening skills.
- Students will be able to recognize the benefits of attentive listening in various contexts.
Introduction:
Mastering effective listening is a skill that requires ongoing practice, even for adults. It contributes to building relationships, problem-solving, ensuring comprehension, resolving conflicts, and enhancing accuracy. Above all, it cultivates resourceful, self-reliant students capable of solving their own challenges.
Effective listening involves a student maintaining an attentive posture, facing the speaker, and absorbing information well enough to summarize what was said. While maintaining eye contact is customary in many western cultures, it’s important to be mindful and respectful of cultural differences in this regard.
Activity 1: Whispers Around the Room
Arrange students in a line around the room. Whisper a phrase to the first student and instruct them to quietly share it with their neighbors. Emphasize attentive listening, as the phrase won’t be repeated. The last student will announce the phrase to the class.
Conduct a few rounds of the game, using sample phrases if needed:
- “Money doesn’t grow on trees, but leaves do.”
- “It’s against the law to plant flowers on Mars.”
- “Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.”
In larger groups, the initial phrase usually transforms significantly. This playful activity emphasizes mindful listening—focusing on the message while blocking out distractions. It also highlights how gossip distorts information.
Activity 2: Tuning into Chimes
With students settled into their seats, explain how we sometimes get so absorbed in our thoughts that we miss the sounds around us. This exercise enhances mindful listening by focusing on singular sounds.
Utilize a singing bowl, chime, or app to create a sound. Instruct students to raise their hands when they no longer hear the sound. Repeat this process a few times.
Next, have students close their eyes for a few minutes and listen attentively to the sounds in their surroundings.
- What sounds did they notice within the classroom?
- What external sounds did they observe?
- Did they identify any unfamiliar noises?
Deepen the discussion using these prompts:
- What aspects of the activity posed challenges? What was straightforward?
- What were your likes and dislikes about this activity?
- Did you notice anything new during the exercise?
- How does this activity correlate with your daily experiences?
Closing:
Assign the following journal prompt for students to complete:
GOING BEYOND:
- How does this journal prompt relate to the broader concept of mindfulness?
- In what ways does this prompt align with the lesson’s activities?
- Identify shared points and differences in perspective with [student’s name]’s response.
Lesson adapted from: Mindful Choices: Middle & High School Program