Listening Line-Up Warm-Up

Purpose: Activate students’ attentive listening skills and encourage sharing in a low-stakes format.

Instructions:

• Ask students to stand in a line across the front of the room.
• Explain the rules: you will read short statements; if the statement applies to you, step forward one space; if it doesn’t, stay where you are.
• Read 5–7 simple statements, one at a time. Pause after each to let students step. Example statements:
  • “I have a pet at home.”
  • “I like to draw pictures.”
  • “I’ve been on an airplane.”
  • “I enjoy reading books.”
  • “I can whistle.”
• After the last statement, ask students who stepped forward for any statement to share why they chose to step.
• Highlight that listening and observing others helps us learn more about our classmates and practice attentive listening.

Empathy Mirrors Activity

Purpose: Practice both speaking about a feeling and reflecting it back to show you understand and care.
Materials: Prompt cards from Empathy Mirrors.

Instructions (12 minutes)

1. Pair Up
   • Find a partner and sit facing each other.
   • Decide who will be Partner A (speaker first) and Partner B (listener first).
2. Partner A Shares (3 minutes)
   • Draw or pick one prompt card.
   • Share briefly about the prompt (e.g., “Tell about a time you felt proud.”).
   • Use your own words—no need to be perfect!
3. Partner B Listens and Mirrors (2 minutes)
   • Look at Partner A and listen carefully.
   • Mirror back what you heard and name the emotion.
     • Example: “I heard that you felt proud when you helped your friend. It sounds like that made you feel really happy and strong.”
4. Switch Roles (3 minutes)
   • Now Partner B picks a new prompt card and shares.
   • Partner A mirrors back what they heard, naming the feeling.
5. Reflection and Group Share (4 minutes)
   • Return to the whole group.
   • Invite 2–3 pairs to share one mirror statement that felt especially caring.
   • Discuss: How did hearing the mirrored emotion make you feel?

Prompt Card Examples

• Describe a time you felt nervous at school.
• Describe a time you felt excited about a game.
• Describe a time you felt disappointed.
• Describe a time you felt proud of yourself.
• Describe a time you felt surprised by a friend’s kindness.

Feelings Circle Discussion

Purpose: Practice active listening and empathy by sharing personal experiences in a safe, supportive group setting.

Materials:

• Feelings Circle prompt wheel or cards
• Chart paper
• Markers

Instructions

1. Seating & Setup (2 minutes)

   • Have students sit in a circle so everyone can see each other.
   • Place the prompt wheel or stack of feeling cards in the center.

2. Explain the Process (1 minute)

   • You’ll take turns selecting or spinning to get a feeling prompt.
   • When it’s your turn, you’ll share a brief story or example related to that feeling.

3. Sharing & Listening (10 minutes)

   • Speaker: Shares their experience (30–45 seconds).
   • Listeners: Practice active listening by:
     • Looking at the speaker
     • Nodding or using body language
     • Asking a short clarifying or caring question (e.g., “What helped you feel better?”)
     • Paraphrasing one key emotion (e.g., “It sounds like you felt proud when…”)

4. Teacher Role

   • Record examples of strong listening and empathy on chart paper as students share.
   • Highlight phrases like “I noticed…” and “I hear you feeling…” to model reflective language.

5. Group Reflection (5 minutes)

   • After 3–4 students have shared, pause and ask:
     1. Which listening behavior helped you feel heard?
     2. How did the speaker’s words show empathy?
     3. How does it feel to share and to listen?

Sample Feeling Prompts

• Describe a time you felt proud of yourself.
• Describe a time you felt nervous and what helped you.
• Describe a time you felt excited about something.
• Describe a time you felt disappointed and how you coped.
• Describe a time you felt grateful for a friend’s support.
• Describe a time you felt surprised by someone’s kindness.

Closing Reflection (2 minutes)

Ask students to write or draw on chart paper:

“One way I can show empathy when someone shares is…”

Invite 2–3 volunteers to read their reflections aloud. Reinforce that these listening and empathy skills help build a caring classroom community.