3.1 Name That Communication Blooper! Part 1

Items Needed: 

• Login to the Harmont website and review the Communication Bloopers and Boosters Reference Guide: https://online.harmonysel.org/grade-4-communication-bloopers-and-boosters-reference-guide/ Links to an external site. 
• Board with writing utensils/ butcher paper and markers

Set the Stage: 

Explore the challenges involved when working in cooperative groups.

Explain that working in groups can be difficult and that even adults sometimes find it challenging.

Have students brainstorm reasons why group work can be challenging. Write their ideas on the board.

• Group members don’t do their fair share of work; group members are bossy; group members don’t listen to my ideas; group members disagree.

Introduce the concept of Communication Bloopers.

Point out that most of the challenges students brainstormed have to do with ineffective communication strategies or Communication Bloopers.

Activity: 

Write the four Communication Bloopers (interrupting, controlling, ignoring, and withdrawing) on the board.

Work with students to define the Bloopers and provide examples, referring to the Communication Bloopers and Boosters Reference Guide as needed.

• INTERRUPTING means stopping someone in the middle of what he or she is doing or saying. If I’m in a group and Priya is sharing her idea, but I cut her off to say my idea, I’m interrupting.
• CONTROLLING means deciding the direction of the group without considering others’ perspectives.
• IGNORING means not recognizing other group members’ needs or perspectives. Suppose Shawn is one of my group members and asks me a question, but I don’t answer, or even acknowledge, it—that’s ignoring.
• WITHDRAWING is removing oneself mentally or physically from the group task. If I decide to doodle on my notebook instead of listening or contributing ideas to my group, that’s withdrawing.

Review the group work challenges students brainstormed and have them identify which Communication Blooper corresponds with each.

Remind students that everyone uses Communication Bloopers sometimes and that people usually don’t even realize they’re doing it.

• You may get really excited about one of your ideas and interrupt a group member to share it.

Explain that by becoming more aware of Communication Bloopers, we can catch and stop ourselves when we’re about to bloop.