Conversation Starters Worksheet

Use this worksheet to practice starting friendly, respectful conversations with a partner. Write your responses in the spaces below, then turn and talk to practice.

1. Write a greeting and introduce yourself to your partner.
   (Example: “Hello, my name is Maya. What’s your name?”)

1. Ask your partner about their favorite hobby. Write the question you will ask:

Then, predict how they might answer and write a respectful response you could say:

1. Ask your partner about their weekend plans. Write the question:

Next, write a follow-up question to show you’re interested:

1. Practice inviting someone to join your game in a respectful way. Write your invitation:

1. Think of one kind thing you can say to show respect to your friend. Write it below:

When you finish writing, find a partner and practice each line together, using eye contact and a friendly tone.

Respectful Conversations Discussion

Discussion Guidelines

• Listen when others speak without interrupting.
• Use kind words and a calm tone of voice.
• Raise your hand and wait for your turn to share.
• Respect each person’s ideas, even if they’re different from your own.

1. Feeling Respected

Question: What makes you feel respected when someone talks to you?
Tip: Think about their words, tone, and body language.

Follow-up: Why do those things matter to you?

2. Real-Life Example

Question: Describe a time when someone’s greeting made you feel really good—or maybe upset. What happened?

Follow-up: Which respectful or disrespectful words did they use?

3. The Power of Follow-Up Questions

Question: Why is it important to ask a follow-up question (for example, “What do you like about that hobby?”) in a conversation?

Follow-up: How can follow-up questions show respect and interest?

4. Polite Invitations

Question: Think of one polite way to invite a friend to join a game or activity. Write or share your invitation phrase.

Follow-up: Which phrase sounds most friendly and why?

5. Role-Play Reflection

Activity: In pairs, take turns practicing a respectful greeting and follow-up question.

• After each role-play, your partner will share one thing they liked about your greeting.
• Then swap roles and repeat.

Reflection Question: What respectful behaviors did you notice when your partner spoke?

Teacher Notes

• Encourage paraprofessionals to prompt students who need support with language or confidence.
• Acknowledge each student’s participation to build self-esteem, especially for those facing housing instability.
• Reinforce the idea that respect in conversation builds strong friendships and safer classrooms.

Greeting Relay Game

Objective: Students will practice respectful greetings and positive body language through an active relay race.

Time: 7 minutes

Materials:

• Greeting Game Cards
• Cones or floor markers to set up relay lanes

Preparation (5 minutes):

• Arrange cones to mark a start line and turn-around point for each team.
• Scatter Greeting Game Cards face-down at each turn-around cone.
• Briefly review respectful greeting behaviors (eye contact, clear voice, polite tone).

Instructions

1. Form Teams (1 minute)

• Divide students into 2–4 equal teams.
• Each team lines up behind its start cone.

2. Relay Race (5 minutes)

• On “Go!”, the first student in each line runs to their team’s cone.
• They pick up one Greeting Game Card, read the greeting aloud to a partner or teacher, making eye contact and using a clear, respectful tone.
• After greeting, they run back, hand the card to the next teammate, and join the end of the line.
• Continue until every student has had a turn.

3. Debrief & Cool-Down (1 minute)

• Gather the class and ask:
  • “Which greeting did you enjoy hearing the most?”
  • “What body language helped show respect?”
• Highlight two or three strong examples and praise respectful behaviors.

Differentiation & Supports:

• Paraprofessionals can run alongside students who need verbal prompts or mobility assistance.
• For students with anxiety or housing instability, allow them to partner with a trusted peer or the teacher for the greeting portion.
• Offer an alternate “seated relay” option: students pick up a card from a basket at their table, greet a classmate beside them, then pass the basket on.

Cool-Down Prompt:

• “Share one thing you did today that showed respect during our game.”
• Allow 2–3 quick volunteer responses to reinforce learning.

Name & Greeting Warm-Up

Time: 5 minutes

Materials: Greeting Game Cards

Instructions

1. Set Up & Draw (1 minute)
   • Have students stand or sit in a loose circle.
   • Place Greeting Game Cards face-down in the center.
   • Each student quietly draws one card and reads the greeting silently.
2. Partner Practice (2 minutes)
   • On your signal, students find a partner.
   • Each student reads their greeting aloud, focusing on:
     • Clear, respectful tone
     • Eye contact
     • Polite body language
3. Rotate & Repeat (2 minutes)
   • After both partners practice, they swap cards and move to a new partner.
   • Aim for 3–4 different partners so everyone practices multiple greetings.

Teacher Tips

• Model one greeting first to demonstrate respectful tone and posture.
• Prompt paraprofessionals to support students who need help with wording or confidence.
• For students with anxiety or housing instability concerns, allow them to swap cards with a trusted peer at their table instead of moving around.

This quick energizer warms up conversational skills and sets a positive, respectful tone for today’s lesson!

Session 1 Cool-Down

Time: 3 minutes
Materials: Exit ticket handout or sticky notes

Reflection Prompts

Please answer the following on your exit ticket or sticky note:

1. What is one respectful greeting skill I practiced today?

1. One thing I did today that showed respect was…

1. A goal I have for next time to be even more respectful is…

Teacher Notes

• Collect exit tickets as students leave to gauge understanding and confidence.
• Paraprofessionals can support students who need help writing or expressing their thoughts.
• For students facing housing instability, offer the option to share their response verbally and record it privately.
• Review responses to tailor Session 2 support and celebrate growth in respectful conversation skills.

Frustration Management Worksheet

Use this worksheet to recognize what makes you feel frustrated and choose healthy strategies to calm down. Write or circle your answers in the spaces below.

1. Describe a situation that made you feel frustrated recently. What happened?

1. Choose one strategy to calm down when you feel frustration rising.
   Circle one: deep breathing / counting to ten / taking a break

Explain why you chose this strategy and how it will help you:

1. Think of a different time you felt frustrated. Describe what happened:

Now pick a different strategy (circle): deep breathing / counting to ten / taking a break

Explain why this strategy would help you in that moment:

1. Which of these strategies do you think helps you the most overall? Why?

1. Write a calming phrase you can say to yourself when you start to feel frustrated (for example, “I can stay calm” or “I can take a deep breath”). Practice saying it silently or out loud.

1. How can showing respect to others—using kind words and listening—help you feel less frustrated?

1. My goal for next time I feel frustrated is to use the strategy of __________________________ and remind myself:

When you finish, share your phrase or goal with a partner and practice together.

Active Listening Discussion Guide

Discussion Guidelines

• Listen without interrupting when someone else is speaking.
• Use a calm, respectful tone and positive body language.
• Raise your hand or wait quietly for your turn to share.
• Value each person’s ideas and show understanding.

1. Defining Active Listening

Question: How can you tell when someone is truly listening to you?

Follow-up: What words, tone, or actions helped you feel heard?

2. Nonverbal Listening Cues

Question: What are some nonverbal ways we show we’re listening (for example, nodding or eye contact)?

Follow-up: Why are these cues important in showing respect?

3. Paraphrasing & Clarifying

Question: What does it mean to paraphrase or repeat back what someone said?

Follow-up: How does paraphrasing show respect and help avoid misunderstandings?

4. Listening with Empathy

Question: Why is it important to try to feel what the speaker is feeling?

Follow-up: How can empathy make conversations more respectful and supportive?

5. Reflection & Connection

Question: Think of a time when good listening helped you or a friend. What happened?

Follow-up: How did respectful listening affect the outcome?

Teacher Notes

• Invite paraprofessionals to guide students needing extra support with examples or prompts.
• Model each listening behavior before students discuss to provide a clear example.
• Encourage students facing housing instability to share experiences in a safe, supportive way.
• Reinforce that active listening builds trust, reduces frustration, and strengthens friendships.

Listening Role-Play

Objective: Students will practice active listening behaviors and respectful verbal responses through engaging role-play scenarios.

Time: 7 minutes

Materials:

• Active Listening Role-Play Cards

Setup

• Divide students into pairs or small groups of 3.
• Ensure each pair/group has a stack of Active Listening Role-Play Cards.

Instructions

1. Assign Roles (1 minute)
   • In each pair, designate one student as the Speaker and the other as the Listener.
   • In groups of 3, one student listens while two take turns speaking.
2. Role-Play Scenarios (4 minutes)
   • The Speaker draws a card and reads the short scenario aloud (for example, “Your friend is upset because they lost a game”).
   • The Listener practices active listening by:
     • Making eye contact and nodding
     • Using a calm, respectful tone
     • Paraphrasing what they heard (“So you felt upset when…?”)
     • Asking a clarifying or empathy question (“That sounds frustrating. What helped you feel better?”)
   • After 1–2 minutes, pause and have the Speaker give feedback:
     • Which listening cues felt supportive?
     • What could the Listener add or improve?
   • Swap roles and repeat with a new card.
3. Group Share & Feedback (1 minute)
   • Bring everyone back together and invite a few volunteers to share one strong listening behavior they observed or used.
   • Ask:
     • “Which active listening cue helped you feel heard?”
     • “How did paraphrasing show respect?”

Differentiation & Supports

• Paraprofessionals can model a role-play first for students needing additional support.
• For students with housing instability or high anxiety, allow them to choose a familiar peer or adult to partner with.
• Provide sentence starters on the board or on each card (e.g., “I hear that you …”, “It sounds like …”) for scaffolding.

Cool-Down Prompt

• “Share one thing you learned today about listening that shows respect to others.”
• Invite 2–3 quick responses and praise each student’s insight.

Session 2 Cool-Down

Time: 3 minutes
Materials: Exit tickets or sticky notes

Reflection Prompts

Please answer the following on your exit ticket or sticky note:

1. What is one strategy I will use next time I feel frustrated?

1. What is one way I showed respect through listening today?

1. One goal I have for our next session to manage frustration and show respect is…

Teacher Notes

• Collect responses to assess students’ confidence with coping strategies and respectful listening.
• Offer verbal response options or scribe for students needing writing support, especially those with IEP/504 accommodations or housing instability.
• Reinforce each student’s contributions and celebrate growth in self-regulation and respect-building skills.