AGES 13+

This class will help students become confident communicators in any situation. Whether it's crafting a professional email or navigating conflicts during heated discussions, students will learn to adapt their communication style to various contexts effectively, will uncover common obstacles that hinder clear communication, and will use self-assessment activities, to learn about their communication strengths and areas for growth, empowering them to communicate authentically and the impact of unconscious bias on our interactions and learn how to recognize and mitigate its influence, fostering more inclusive and empathetic communication.

 

The course will be a mixture of lecture, self-assessments, and role-plays.  Since we will be discussing unconscious bias, some topics around racism, sexism, and other forms of prejudice and stereotyping will be addressed.  

 

This class will be paired with Shawn's non-Wednesday online class on Clifton Strengths.  The classes will be complementary but it will not be a requirement that both classes are taken together. 

 

Required skills: Students need to be able to sit for lectures of 15- 20 minutes, they need to have the maturity to be self-aware and to self-assess both their strengths and weaknesses in communication.  Students should have the maturity to be collaborative, receive feedback, and engage in role plays in a meaningful way.  We will have fun and laugh, but the role plays need to be taken seriously and students will need to be open to hearing what they could do better or differently.  Sharing insights, tips, and thoughts around communication will be a big part of the class, so students should be willing to actively participate and engage with the content.

 

This class will likely take place in our Flourish and Blotts classroom, so students should be comfortable standing, sitting on large rocks or the dirt, or bringing their own chair.

 

Homework: I don't anticipate much homework.  I may ask for some reading or some self-assessments from time to time if we can't finish the work in class, but it will be sparing.

 

Lecture time: I envision this class being more of a conversation, but students should be prepared for up to 15 minutes of lecture.  

 

Is fall semester required for spring semester? No