Lesson Plan | Socioemotional Learning | Following verbal instructions accurately

Objectives

Duration: 15 - 20 minutes

The purpose of this step is to set a clear foundation for the lesson by establishing specific goals that align with both academic content and socioemotional development. By outlining objectives that focus on self-awareness, self-management, and social skills, students are encouraged to reflect on their emotional responses to verbal instructions. This step prepares the learners to engage actively with the lesson material while also fostering an environment that promotes emotional intelligence, collaboration, and effective communication among peers.

Main Objectives

1. Students will identify and express their feelings when receiving verbal instructions.

2. Students will practice rephrasing verbal instructions to ensure accurate understanding.

3. Students will demonstrate the ability to follow verbal instructions in a group activity.

Introduction

Duration: 15 - 20 minutes

Emotional Warmup Activity

Breathe and Focus

Guided Mindful Breathing

1. Gather students in a quiet space where they can sit comfortably, either on their chairs or on the floor.

2. Instruct students to close their eyes gently and place one hand on their chest and the other on their belly.

3. Guide them in taking a deep breath in through their nose, feeling their belly rise, and then exhaling slowly through their mouth, noticing their belly fall.

4. Encourage them to focus on their breath, counting to four as they inhale, holding for a count of two, and then exhaling for a count of six.

5. Repeat this breathing exercise for 5 minutes, occasionally reminding them to bring their thoughts back to their breath if their mind wanders.

6. After the breathing session, invite students to open their eyes slowly, stretch their arms overhead, and share how they feel in one word.

Content Contextualization

In our daily lives, we often receive verbal instructions from teachers, parents, and friends. How well we follow these instructions can affect our learning, friendships, and even our ability to stay safe in certain situations. For example, think of a time when you misunderstood a friend's directions to a party and ended up somewhere completely different! Understanding and following instructions accurately helps us avoid confusion and miscommunication. It’s not just about hearing words; it’s about connecting those words to our feelings, ensuring we are present, and managing our responses. Today, we will not only explore how to follow verbal instructions but learn how our feelings can influence our understanding and execution of those tasks.

Development

Duration: 60 - 75 minutes

Theory Guide

Duration: 25 - 30 minutes

1. Understanding Verbal Instructions: Verbal instructions are directives communicated through spoken language. It is crucial for students to grasp the importance of listening attentively to instructions given by teachers or peers.

2. Importance of Active Listening: Explain that active listening involves being fully engaged in hearing what someone is saying, which includes not only hearing the words but also understanding the meaning behind them. Use the example of a teacher giving instructions before a group activity.

3. Identifying Key Elements of Instructions: Teach students to recognize keywords in instructions that signal actions, such as 'circle', 'draw', 'write', or 'discuss'. Stress the need to focus on these keywords to accurately follow directions.

4. Clarifying Doubts: Encourage students to ask clarifying questions when instructions are not clear. For instance, if a friend says, 'Meet me at the park,' students should feel empowered to ask, 'Which park?'

5. Practicing Rephrasing: Instruct students on how to rephrase instructions to confirm their understanding. For example, if given the instruction 'Draw a cat', a student might rephrase it as 'I should draw a cat with big ears and a fluffy tail'.

6. Consequences of Misunderstanding: Discuss the potential outcomes of not following instructions accurately, such as confusion and missed opportunities. Provide relatable examples, like missing a fun activity due to incorrect directions.

7. Emotional Impact: Explain how students may feel when they follow instructions correctly (pride, accomplishment) versus when they misunderstand them (frustration, embarrassment). This understanding fosters emotional awareness.

Activity with Socioemotional Feedback

Duration: 20 - 25 minutes

Seguir Instruções com Emoções

In this engaging activity, students will work in small groups to follow a series of verbal instructions related to a creative task. Each group will be given a unique set of instructions to complete a project, such as creating a poster or building a simple model. After completing the task, they will reflect on their experiences and emotions while following the instructions, sharing what they felt during different stages of the activity.

1. Divide students into small groups of four or five.

2. Assign each group a set of specific verbal instructions to follow for a creative task, such as designing a poster about their favourite animal using specific colours and images.

3. Allow groups 15 minutes to complete the task based on the verbal instructions they received.

4. Encourage groups to discuss among themselves their understanding of the instructions as they work together.

5. After completing the task, bring the class back together for a sharing session where each group presents their work.

6. Prompt each group to share not only their project but also how they felt during the task, what emotions they experienced, and how they resolved any misunderstandings.

Discussion and Group Feedback

After the group presentations, facilitate a discussion using the RULER method. Begin by helping students Recognize their emotions during the activity. Ask them to share specific moments when they felt confused or confident while following the instructions. Encourage them to Understand the cause of these emotions—was it the complexity of the instructions or the clarity of communication? Once emotions have been recognized and understood, guide them to Label these emotions accurately, using terms like 'frustration' or 'excitement'. Next, allow students to Express their feelings in a supportive environment, sharing how these emotions affected their performance. Lastly, discuss how they can Regulate these emotions in future activities by asking questions, seeking clarification, or taking deep breaths if feeling overwhelmed. This discussion not only reinforces the lesson's objectives but also deepens emotional intelligence by allowing students to connect their feelings to their actions.

Conclusion

Duration: 15 - 20 minutes

Reflection and Emotional Regulation

To wrap up the lesson, conduct a class discussion where students reflect on the challenges they faced while following verbal instructions. Encourage each student to share one specific moment where they struggled and how they managed their emotions during that time. This could include moments of confusion, frustration, or surprise. If time allows, provide students with a short written reflection activity to summarise their experiences and the emotions they felt, which will reinforce the connection between their emotional responses and their ability to follow instructions accurately.

Objective: The objective of this reflection and emotional regulation activity is to encourage students to self-assess their emotional responses during the lesson and identify effective strategies for managing their feelings in challenging situations. By articulating their thoughts and emotions, students develop a better understanding of how their feelings can influence their actions, thus fostering emotional regulation skills that can be applied in future tasks.

Glimpse into the Future

End the lesson by guiding students to set both personal and academic goals related to the skills they have learned. For instance, students could commit to actively listening and confirming instructions in future tasks or practising expressing their emotions in a healthy way when facing misunderstandings. This goal-setting can be done through a group discussion where students share their goals, or they can write them down to keep as a reminder.

Setting Goals:

1. To listen actively and summarise instructions in my own words.

2. To ask clarifying questions when verbal instructions are unclear.

3. To manage my emotions by using deep breathing when I feel frustrated with instructions.

4. To be supportive of my classmates by helping them clarify instructions. Objective: The objective of this ending activity is to strengthen students' autonomy and practical application of the skills they have learned throughout the lesson. By setting personal and academic goals, students are encouraged to take ownership of their learning journey, promoting continuity in their emotional and academic development.