Teaching Social Skills for Harmonious Relationships

Types of Social Skills

• Effective communication: ability to communicate effectively and share thoughts and ideas with students through group conversations, discussions, etc.
• Conflict resolution: ability to find the source of a problem and find a workable solution by weighing both sides and mediating for reconciliation
• Active listening: ability to pay close attention to a student in times of counseling, introspection, and consultation
• Empathy: ability to understand and identify the feelings of students in times of difficulty and trouble
• Relationship management: ability to maintain relationships and build key connections with school stakeholders for the student's development
• Respect: ability to know when to initiate communication and respond during interactions or in times of heated arguments and confrontations
• Problem-solving skills: ability to seek help, make effective decisions, and accept consequences to derive better solutions to the problem
• Interpersonal skills: ability to share, join activities, ask for permission, and wait for one's turn in every facet of school undertakings

Improving Social Skills

• Focus on sustaining desirable attitudes and eliminating undesirable ones through modeling, role-playing, and performance feedback mechanisms
• Be aware that emotions can drive behavior and impact people positively and negatively, and learn how to manage those emotions under pressure
• Emotions can be managed by being sensitive to one's and others' feelings, thinking before acting, controlling reactions, and benefiting from criticism

Strategies for Enhancing Emotional Intelligence

• Think about feelings: be sensitive to one's and others' feelings to come up with the right approach or response
• Pause: take a moment to stop and think before doing anything to refrain from unsound decisions
• Strive to control one's thoughts: control reactions to emotions by focusing on thoughts in harmony with goals and values
• Benefit from criticism: communicate with students, recognize and manage emotions, and increase self-awareness

Enhancing Emotional Intelligence Techniques

• Emotional Literacy Museum: a self-directed learning experience that teaches about the physiology of emotions, emotional regulation, and emotional literacy
• Mixed Emotions Cords: a deck of "tarot-like" cards with feelings and synonyms
• eMotion Cards: evocative, playful moon face illustrations of emotions
• Biodots: a simple reminder that emotions are part of our physiology
• Bingo Emotions: a classic "bingo game" played with emotions
• Feeling Faces: photos of real people and data about how survey respondents evaluated each picture
• Six Seconds Emotional Intelligence Assessment: provides feedback about the way one uses EQ and how to improve in this area
• The Zoo: Animal Workshop, Face Workshop, Machine Transformer, Tower Building, and Build Me a House: activities that teach emotional intelligence and people skills

People Skills

• Ability to effectively communicate, understand, and empathize with others
• Ability to interact with others respectfully and develop productive working relationships
• Ability to build sincerity and trust, moderate behavior, and enhance agreeableness
• Ability to tolerate and understand differences in others
• Ability to maintain an even temper, repeat and explain information, and control anger in trying situations

The 5 A's to Improve People Skills

• Acceptance: accepting the differences of others
• Appreciation: appreciating the strengths of others
• Approval: approving the efforts of others
• Admiration: admiring the achievements of others
• Attention: giving attention to others

Ten Essential People Skills to Succeed

• Being socially assertive: conserving social energy in the right ways
• Crafting a memorable presence: making connections and being well-remembered
• Mastering communication: presenting oneself and getting one's message across
• Sustaining lasting confidence: overcoming shyness, avoiding awkwardness, and getting through anxiety
• Being an excellent conversationalist: communicating and interacting with others effectively