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Relationships and Communication

This lesson explores leading research and tools on relationships and communication from the Gottman Institute. 

Learning intentions:

  • Understand the impact of non-verbal communication
  • Differentiate between different unhealthy communication styles
  • Identify strategies that can help people to communicate their needs in a relationship
  • Articulate the difference between ‘listening to hear’ and ‘listening to understand’

Digital Educator: Chloe

  • 12-30 learners

    Class size

  • 9+

    Year Level

  • 45-60 minutes

    Course duration

  • One

    Student Handouts

    Preparing for the lesson

    Information
    Resources
    ACHPE Objectives
    UNESCO Objectives
    Safety & Wellbeing
    Sequence
    Extension
    In this Relationships and Communication lesson, students will develop their skills of communication and conflict resolution.

    Using the work of the Gottman Institute as a basis for the lesson, students will examine why communication is so important and explore some of the ways it can go wrong or be hurtful. They will practise healthy forms of communication, and explore listening skills that enable them to better understand the content of what they are hearing.
     
    Each lesson ends with a consolidation activity, inviting students to list 1 thing they have learnt from the lesson, 1 thing they already knew, 1 piece of advice they would share with a friend, and 1 adult or organisation that would be helpful in relation to the lesson topic.  

    Facilitator Printouts

    Gottman Institute

    Student Printouts

    Additional Student Resources

    AC9HP10P06: Evaluate emotional responses in different situations to refine strategies for managing emotions.
    • Proposing strategies for managing emotional responses and resolving conflict in a family, school or social situation, or online environment. 
    • Evaluating situations where an individual may react with extreme or uncontrolled emotion and reflecting on the impact that this response may have on the situation and/or their relationships. 


    AC9HP10P07:     Examine how strategies, such as communicating choices, seeking, giving and denying consent, and expressing opinions and needs can support the development of respectful relationships, including sexual relationships.
    • Refining strategies to communicate clearly and respectfully their choices, needs and opinions in a range of relationship scenarios, such as peer group, family or work situations. 
    Key Concept 1: Relationships
    1.2 Friendships, Love and Romantic Relationships.
    •  Key idea: There are different ways to express affection and love. 


    Key Concept 5: Skills for Health and Wellbeing
    5.3 Communication, Refusal and Negotiation Skills. 
    • Key idea: Good communication is essential to personal, family, school, work and romantic relationships.
    • This lesson looks at positive relationship skills that are based on the work of The Gottman Institute.  Healthy communication is central to the wellbeing of all of our relationships at every age across the lifespan. However, communication styles are often familial and result from the way we are socialised. There will be students who struggle with forms of communication that are respectful and multi-directional and this lesson can be more difficult for them. Acknowledge that we all communicate differently and we that in some circumstances it is easier to use skills that are more assertive or empathic. 
    •  In the lesson, students are invited to think of a friendship or healthy relationship where some of the Horseman may have emerged. This can be quite difficult for young people who are living in conflict or whose experiences of relationships are mostly unhealthy or absent. Allow students to think of celebrity couples or fictional characters instead. 
    Ideally, you will have scope to deliver all of the lessons in your program. However we understand that many schools have limited capacity to do so. Should you find yourself having to implement part of this program, we have provided a suggested sequence of lessons within the broader skills and knowledge categories of relationship, consent, gender, and health & legal literacy. We recommend delivering at least one lesson from each category.

    1. Group Agreements & Pod Mapping should be the first lesson as per best practice.

    1. Students can spend time engaging in conversations based on the antidotes skills and the concept of listening to understand. Invite students to think of something simple that is bothering them or a bit of a challenge (nothing too heavy or serious so your sports team lost, a tv show has taken an unexpected turn, you aren’t allowed to go to the movies on the weekend) then take turns in the role of speaker and listener. The listener should ask questions to learn and understand more about the other person's perspective. The activity ends when the speaker feels heard and understood.
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