Private 1:1! How to Communicate to Improve Relationships and Reduce Conflict

This one time class introduces students to effective communication skills. The session starts with understanding why effective communication is important and how ineffective communication can lead to unintended and unwanted outcomes. Understanding that ineffective and miscommunication can increase chances of conflict between friends, family members, parents, teachers and students can be important for students to consider. 

Once time has been spent exploring why it may be important to consider communication, students are introduced to some key communication skills (including timing, considering the perspective of the other, 'I' statements, etc). These are introduced one by one- with time spent to reflect on the usefulness of these skills. 

Examples are then considered with exploring when communication has not been effective and how these skills may have supported different outcomes. Vignettes and case examples will be provided- for us to look together where communication may have impacted the outcome and where useful tweaks to communication could have led to a different outcome. 

Role play is also invited as a method of learning in the classroom- this enables the students to try out methods of communicating in a safe space and encourages them to try something different before practising these skills in real life. 

The class therefore involves visual and presentation based information- with information about these skills provided. However, active discussions and role play compliment this learning. 

Key concepts around mentalisation, heightened emotions and regulating emotions are introduced in this class. 

It is understood that during adolescence the brain is still developing, which can make decision making, reading others' facial expression, responding with rationale (rather than emotion) and being influenced by peers more difficult. This is explained and introduced to students, along with this being a rationale for teaching communication skills to students. For these reasons, clear and concise information is given to students in a digestible way. 

Student will be encouraged to consider what their take away messages from the session are, reflect on what they have learnt and what they may start to put into practice in their daily life and interactions.