Jan,
I think you teach conversation skills by having conversations! I know, I
know, this sounds too simplistic. I start out my year talking with my students,
one of the very first things I do is have elicit from them what they know about
having a conversation. I don't take anything for granted, we go into teensy
weensy detail, from recognizing body language that give us clues to how the
other person is feeling, to tone of voice and how to politely interrupt
someone. We write down all the ideas we brainstorm together, then turn them
into rules for conversation, and modify them as the year progresses.
I try to make the classroom a safe place where the students feel comfortable
sharing. The kicker is this takes time. Some kids come ready to share, others
take longer, you have to be patient. I also have learned to have kids share
with me before sharing with the class, just to be sure they understand what is
and what isn't appropriate. (I helped them figure out how much to tell, and how
much to hold back so they don't tell anything that might come back to haunt
them.) Responsive Classroom is a good place to learn about this.
There is an anchor chart in one of the power point files that Ginger posted
that looks similar to what I do with my students.
Joy/NC/4
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
How children learn is as important as what they learn: process and content go
hand in hand. http://www.responsiveclassroom.org
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