An understanding listener {7 Habits Craftivity #5} by Michaela Peterson

What’s Inside?

Habits can be positive or negative, depending of course on what kind of habit you are making. We want our kids to develop strong positive habits now, when they’re young, that will carry over into adulthood. Imagine the benefit of learning and sticking to “The 7 Habits of Happy Kids” and what an impact this could have on the kid’s futures and everyone around them! Use this craftivity to supplement your reading of Sean Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Happy Kids”, namely chapter five “Jumper and the Lost Butterfly Net”. When you have finished reading chapter five, proceed to the “An Understanding Listener” poem, posters and game in this packet. After that, head on over to the complete the “Understanding Listener Brainstorm web & Writing Prompts”. Lastly finish with the “I’m ALL Ears” Craftivity. Print out all templates for the craftivity on card-stock or similar heavy duty paper. Be sure to select “Print fit to page” for best quality of printing. After you print out the pieces you can either group these together for your students to cut their own patterns, or pre-cut the parts for each student (this will depend on your time limitations and the abilities of your group).

Inside you’ll find: - “An Understanding Listener” Original Poem - “An Understanding Listener” Labeling Poster - “An Understanding Listener” Student Labeling Sheet - Emotions/Feelings Game (Includes 2 variations) -2 Writing Prompts and Brainstorm Web (primary and secondary lines included for each) - “I’m ALL Ears!” Craft Templates

Poem, Posters & Game “An Understanding Listener” Poem: You can use the Understanding Listener Title Page to top your chart paper if you choose to copy the poem onto chart paper for your students to interact with during the reading. You can also use the Title Page as a bulletin board header if you choose to display the label posters after your students complete them. Read the poem aloud together and discuss the different attributes of a good and understanding listener. You may wish to pass out black and white copies of the poem to your students to highlight rhyming words or sight words you are working on in class.

“An Understanding Listener” Labeling Poster: You may choose to display one or both of these poster sets in front of your class and read off the different attributes of an understanding listener. Now would be a great time to discuss a few deeper points about listening like: **The key is to genuinely seek the welfare of the individual to whom you are listening. Really care about what they have to say. **Most people listen with the intent to reply, not to understand. **Listen first, talk second. (No interrupting!) **Mirror, but don’t mimic (use your own words to re-state what you’ve heard). **Really try to put yourself in the other person’s situation and see it from their eyes.

Emotions/Feelings Game: Read over the instructions beforehand and cut out the emotion cards. You will need a paper bag or something to put the cards in so the students can pull them out without peeking at the other cards.

An Understanding Listener. ©Michaela Peterson, 2013

Understanding listeners use eyes and ears and heart they seek first to understand, Will you do your part?

When you open up your heart, use more than just your ear. Watch their face for clues to see, do they need some cheer?

To really listen and listen well means to put other people first, listening for how they feel. Are they at their worst?

An understanding listener is very hard to find some only want to share their voice, they don’t know that’s not kind.

An Understanding Listener.

©Michaela Peterson, 2013

has quiet and still hands and feet

turns to face the person who is talking

reflects back what they hear

looks at the speaker in the eyes

©Michaela Peterson, 2013

cares about what the other person is saying

listens for emotions and feelings

Waits to talk

Thinks about what the other person is saying.

An Understanding Listener...

has quiet and still hands and feet

turns to face the person who is talking

reflects back what they hear

looks at the speaker in the eyes

©Michaela Peterson, 2013

cares about what the other person is saying

listens for emotions and feelings

Waits to talk

Thinks about what the other person is saying.

An Understanding Listener...

An Understanding Listener...

©Michaela Peterson, 2013

An Understanding Listener...

©Michaela Peterson, 2013

has quiet and still hands and feet

turns to face the person who is talking

reflects back what they hear

looks at the speaker in the eyes

cares about what the other person is saying

listens for emotions and feelings

Waits to talk

Thinks about what the other person is saying.

has quiet and still hands and feet

turns to face the person who is talking

reflects back what they hear

looks at the speaker in the eyes

cares about what the other person is saying

listens for emotions and feelings

Waits to talk

Thinks about what the other person is saying.

Student Directions: Cut out the boxes and read the content. Place the box on your “An Understanding Listener…” page next to the part of the body it belongs to.

Student Directions: Cut out the boxes and read the content. Place the box on your “An Understanding Listener…” page next to the part of the body it belongs to.

Use these cards to play 2 games with your students.

Feelings Games

Game #1: In the first game students will draw the cards out of a bag and try to act out the emotion in front of the class without using words. The other students will try to guess what emotion they are trying to act out. (Depending on your group you may wish to write all of the possible emotions that are in the bag on the board and cross them off as you go along). This is a great opportunity for the students to practice using their eyes for clues as to how people may be feeling when they’re talking with them. Some of the cards may be a little challenging to act out so be prepared to give the actor ideas on what to do. If you have a larger group you can put the cards back into the bag and keep going until every student has had a turn. Game #2: Chit Chat- Reflection Practice. Pair up the students in groups of 2. For this game you are going to pull out an emotion card and students are going to tell their partner about a time they felt that way (a story). If they can’t think of a story they can just talk about how that emotion feels to them and if they like it or not, “when I feel happy I…”etc. Set the timer for about 20-30 sec (you can adjust depending on your class). Then, set the timer for another 20-30 sec and partner #2 will have a chance to reflect back what they heard the other student say by using the phrase “So what you’re saying is…” Students will practice mirroring back what they heard without mimicking or repeating word for word. Encourage the students to really try to understand what the other person is trying to say. When the time is up, switch players and one will become the new listener, the other the speaker.

happy

sad

bored

excited

angry

scared

surprised

silly

confused

mad

shy

loved

cheerful

proud

lonely

peaceful

The Writing Prompts “Understanding Listener” Brainstorm Web: Have your students organize their thoughts on this brainstorm web. Have them think about what an understanding listener looks like and sounds like. When the students are finished you may choose to compile a master list on chart paper for everyone to see. “I’m ALL Ears!” & “I’m an understanding listener when…” Prompts: Have students use these prompts to write about what they’ve learned about seeking first to understand. They can choose to write about what someone that is a good listener looks like or what they are like when they are truly listening. Choose the appropriate page for your groups abilities.

Name__________________

Date__________________

Understanding Listener

©Michaela Peterson, 2013

©Michaela Peterson, 2013

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I’m ALL Ears!

©Michaela Peterson, 2013

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I’m ALL Ears!

©Michaela Peterson, 2013

______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________

I’m ALL Ears!

©Michaela Peterson, 2013

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I’m an understanding listener when...

©Michaela Peterson, 2013

```````````````````` ```````````````````` ```````````````````` ```````````````````` ```````````````````` ```````````````````` ````````````````````

I’m an understanding listener when...

©Michaela Peterson, 2013

______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________

I’m an understanding listener when...

The Craftivity Using 12 X18” construction paper as your base attach your writing prompt to the bottom center of your page. Next, glue the tabs on your ears to the back of the head cut out so they stick up. Then, glue the head to the top of the writing prompt page, take care to only glue the head down and not the ears. Last, attach the hair (girl’s hair will cover a little bit of the ears, so you may need to bend them up a little behind them so you can really see the ears), draw your face (students can choose to draw the inner outline of the ear if they wish) and attach hand cutouts to the sides of the prompt to “hold” it.

{boy/girl head}

{left ear}

{right ear}

Thank You! I hope you enjoy this craftivity. I had so much fun

creating it! If you have ANY questions feel free to e-mail me [email protected]. I’d love to hear from you! Visit www.ihearteducation.wordpress.com for more great teaching ideas. You’re welcome to follow my TpT Store for more great 7 Habits inspired activities. Aspire to Inspire! Michaela Peterson clipart/font by: www.scrappindoodles.com www.jwillustrations.com www.kevinandamanda.com www.fancydogstudio.com