Recently in class, we have been talking about how to join an activity.  It is very important that social skills such as how to join an activity be taught explicitly to ensure that students interact and connect with others in a positive way.

We discussed four steps that are needed if students want to join in on an activity/game.

1. Decide if you want to join the activity.

2. Choose what you want to say.

3. Choose a good moment.

4. Say it in a friendly way.

In addition, we looked at two charts to help us experience greater success when trying to join in:

One chart highlighted how our voices can convey different messages  depending on our volume and tone of voice and if we say things shyly, angrily or in a friendly manner.

The second chart brought attention to our non-verbal cues: our faces (a little harder these days with masks covering our faces most of the time) and our body language, both through a shy, angry and friendly lens.

After having several opportunities to practice the verbal and non-verbal ways of joining an activity, it was clear that everyone would be more receptive to a friendly voice and friendly body language.