Lesson Plan
Peer Counseling Workshop Plan
Students will learn active listening, empathy, and supportive feedback skills by participating in guided activities and practicing peer counseling scenarios.
Building these skills fosters a positive classroom climate, enhances student relationships, and equips learners with tools to support peers emotionally.
Audience
6th Grade Students
Time
40 minutes
Approach
Hands-on activities and guided discussions
Prep
Prepare Workshop Materials
15 minutes
- Print and organize Compliment Circle Prompt Cards
- Queue up Be a Supportive Peer Slides for projection
- Make copies of Peer Role-Play Scenario Sheets and Peer Feedback Rubric
- Review the What Makes a Good Listener? Discussion Guide
Step 1
Warm-Up: Compliment Circle
5 minutes
- Students sit in a circle
- Distribute one Compliment Circle Prompt Cards to each student
- Each student reads their prompt and offers a genuine compliment to a classmate
- Teacher models first to demonstrate tone and sincerity
Step 2
Introduction to Peer Counseling
5 minutes
- Define peer counseling and its importance
- Show the slide titled “What is Peer Counseling?” from Be a Supportive Peer Slides
- Highlight key skills: active listening, empathy, and supportive feedback
Step 3
Discussion: What Makes a Good Listener?
5 minutes
- Use questions from What Makes a Good Listener? Discussion Guide
- Invite students to share examples of good and poor listening
- Record key traits on the board
Step 4
Presentation: Active Listening Skills
10 minutes
- Navigate through Be a Supportive Peer Slides covering:
- Eye contact
- Reflective statements
- Nonverbal encouragement
- Asking open-ended questions
- Pause for quick practice: students pair up and demonstrate one active listening skill
Step 5
Peer Role-Play Scenarios
10 minutes
- Divide students into pairs
- Distribute Peer Role-Play Scenario Sheets
- One student acts as speaker, the other as listener
- After each scenario, partners switch roles
- Encourage using active listening, empathy, and supportive feedback
Step 6
Feedback and Reflection
5 minutes
- Hand out Peer Feedback Rubric
- In pairs, students evaluate their partner’s listening skills and provide constructive feedback
- Invite volunteers to share one insight or challenge
- Teacher highlights successes and outlines next steps
Slide Deck
Be a Supportive Peer
Develop Active Listening, Empathy & Supportive Feedback
Welcome everyone! Today we’re going to learn how to be a supportive peer by practicing peer counseling skills. Introduce yourself and briefly explain why building these skills matters.
What is Peer Counseling?
• A caring conversation between classmates
• Uses listening, empathy, and feedback
• Builds trust and a positive classroom community
Define peer counseling: it’s when students help each other by listening and offering support. Emphasize it’s not therapy but caring conversations among friends.
Key Peer Counseling Skills
- Active Listening
- Empathy
- Supportive Feedback
Highlight the three core skills. Explain that today’s activities will focus on practicing each.
Active Listening: Eye Contact
• Face the speaker and look at their eyes (or forehead)
• Show you’re paying attention
• Balance between direct gaze and natural breaks
Explain why eye contact matters: shows attention and respect. Model looking at a partner while they speak, then glance away to avoid staring.
Active Listening: Reflective Statements
• Repeat or paraphrase what you heard
• Shows you understand and are engaged
• Example: “It sounds like you felt upset when that happened.”
Introduce reflective statements. Give examples: “It sounds like…” or “You’re saying that…” Invite students to practice echoing back.
Active Listening: Nonverbal Encouragement
• Nodding your head
• Open body posture (arms uncrossed)
• Appropriate facial expressions (concern, smiles)
Discuss nonverbal gestures: nodding, open posture, facial expressions. Model each and have students copy.
Asking Open-Ended Questions
• Invite more than yes/no answers
• Start with “How,” “What,” or “Tell me about…”
• Example: “How did that make you feel?”
Clarify open vs. closed questions. Provide sample questions and ask students to convert a closed question into open.
Putting It All Together
In pairs:
- Speaker shares a worry for 1 minute
- Listener uses eye contact, reflective statements, nonverbal cues, and open questions
- Switch roles
Review all skills quickly. Then explain the role-play activity: one student speaks, the other listens and uses these skills. Partners will switch.
Warm Up
Compliment Circle Prompt Cards
Description: A set of cards with prompts to help students offer genuine, specific compliments and kick off a positive class atmosphere.
Time: 5 minutes
How to Use:
1. Sit students in a circle.
2. Shuffle and distribute one card to each student.
3. Teacher models by reading a card aloud and giving a compliment first.
4. Each student reads their prompt and offers a sincere compliment to a peer.
Prompt Cards:
1. Tell someone what you appreciate about their sense of humor.
2. Compliment a classmate on how well they listen.
3. Acknowledge someone’s creativity in classwork.
4. Praise a peer’s kindness toward others.
5. Highlight someone’s positive attitude today.
6. Recognize a classmate’s teamwork skills.
7. Compliment someone on their leadership in group activities.
8. Notice someone’s helpfulness in class.
9. Acknowledge a peer’s neatness and organization.
10. Praise someone’s courage in trying something new.
11. Compliment a classmate’s resilience when things get tough.
12. Highlight someone’s friendliness and welcoming nature.
Activity
Peer Role-Play Scenario Sheets
Description: In pairs, students practice peer counseling by taking turns as Speaker and Listener. Speakers share a concern or feeling, and Listeners use active listening skills—eye contact, reflective statements, nonverbal encouragement, and open-ended questions—to support them.
Time: 10 minutes
How to Use:
- Divide students into pairs and distribute one scenario card per pair.
- Assign roles: one Student A (Speaker), one Student B (Listener).
- Student A reads the scenario and speaks for 1 minute about how they feel or what happened.
- Student B listens, using:
- Eye contact (or looking at forehead),
- Reflective statements (e.g., “It sounds like…”),
- Nonverbal cues (nodding, open posture),
- Open-ended questions (e.g., “How did that make you feel?”).
- After 1 minute, partners switch roles.
- If time allows, pairs can move on to a second scenario.
Scenario 1: Test Anxiety
You have a big math test tomorrow, but you’re worried you won’t do well. You’ve studied, but the problems still feel confusing. You’re afraid you’ll let your parents down.
Scenario 2: Feeling Left Out
Some classmates are planning an activity after school and didn’t invite you. You enjoy spending time with them but feel hurt and excluded. You’re not sure if you should join them next time.
Scenario 3: Family Tension
At home last night, you and a sibling got into a big argument over chores. You feel angry and upset that they never help out, but you also feel guilty for yelling.
Scenario 4: Homework Frustration
You’ve been working on a challenging science project for days but can’t get the experiment to work. You’re frustrated and thinking about giving up because it feels too hard.
Scenario 5: Performance Nerves
You have to present a poem in front of the class tomorrow. You get extremely nervous speaking in front of others and worry your voice will shake or you’ll blank out.
Scenario 6: Loss of a Pet
Your beloved pet passed away recently, and you miss them a lot. You feel sad and don’t know how to talk to your friends or family about how you’re feeling.
Teacher Tip: After the activity, use the Peer Feedback Rubric so students can give each other constructive feedback on their listening and empathy skills.
Discussion
What Makes a Good Listener?
Description: Brief class discussion to identify key listening traits and set expectations for peer counseling.
Time: 5 minutes
Objective: Students will articulate qualities of effective listening and understand why these matter.
How to Conduct:
1. Pose questions one at a time and invite volunteers to share.
2. Use think–pair–share for questions 1 and 2 so all students reflect before speaking.
3. Record key traits on the board under “Good Listening Skills.”
Discussion Questions:
1. Think of a time someone listened really well to you. What did they do that made you feel heard?
2. Think of a time you felt someone wasn’t listening. What did they do (or not do)? How did that make you feel?
3. What nonverbal cues show someone is paying attention? (e.g., eye contact, nodding, open posture)
4. How do reflective statements (like “It sounds like…”) help a speaker? Share an example.
5. Why is asking open-ended questions important when someone is sharing? Can you give a sample question?
6. How does showing empathy support someone who is upset? What might you say or do?
Teacher Tips:
- Encourage students to give specific examples rather than one-word answers.
- Affirm all contributions and connect them back to active listening skills.
- Summarize responses and highlight connections to upcoming slide on “Active Listening Skills.”
Rubric
Peer Feedback Rubric
Use this rubric to give your partner clear, constructive feedback on their peer counseling skills. Circle or highlight the level that best describes your partner’s performance in each area.
| Criteria | 4 – Exemplary | 3 – Proficient | 2 – Developing | 1 – Beginning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active Listening (Eye contact, nonverbal cues, paraphrasing) | • Always maintains eye contact, nods, and uses open body language. • Paraphrases speaker’s words accurately and fully. | • Usually makes eye contact and nods. • Paraphrases most of what the speaker says. | • Sometimes makes eye contact. • Paraphrases only parts of what the speaker says. | • Rarely makes eye contact. • Does not paraphrase or misrepresents speaker’s ideas. |
| Empathy (Verbal expressions, tone) | • Consistently uses supportive phrases (e.g., “I understand how you feel”) in a caring tone. | • Often uses empathetic phrases and tone, with minor lapses. | • Occasionally uses empathetic words but tone may feel neutral or rushed. | • Rarely acknowledges feelings or uses supportive words. |
| Supportive Feedback (Open questions, suggestions) | • Asks thoughtful open-ended questions (e.g., “How did that feel?”). • Offers practical, positive suggestions. | • Asks some open-ended questions and offers helpful suggestions. | • Asks a few closed questions (yes/no). • Suggestions are generic or unclear. | • Asks only yes/no questions. • Does not offer any suggestions. |
Score Guide:
• 10–12 – Exemplary peer counselor skills
• 7–9 – Proficient peer counselor skills
• 4–6 – Developing peer counselor skills
• 3 or below – Beginning peer counselor skills
After scoring, share one strength and one area for growth with your partner.
Strength: ____________________________
Area for Growth: ____________________________