Relationship skills

Abstract

Relationship Skills: The ability to establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with diverse individuals and groups. This includes communicating clearly, listening actively, cooperating, resisting inappropriate social pressure, negotiating conflict constructively, and seeking and offering help when needed. Relationship skills are critical to success in life and work. Having the ability to establish and maintain healthy relationships, communicate effectively, resolve conflicts, resist peer pressure, and collaborate are essential in all human interaction. These skills are fundamental to success in school and in work. Overall, conflict should be framed as a healthy indicator of democratic society and inclusive school community. To teach about handling conflict, educators can center conflict as a learning opportunity; center the assets and needs of all in the school community in examining conflict and be responsive to the presence of language, culture, and perspectives in examining conflict. Ideally, educators integrate evidence-based Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) practices across all subject areas to help students develop their social emotional skills or competencies. For the Relationship Skills competency, we've developed three learning goals, set measurable grade band benchmarks, identified sample activities for each grade band and identified where select Minnesota Academic Standards connect to the benchmarks. The sample activities are suggestions that educators can use to teach the benchmarks-the activities are not meant to be complete lessons. The intent is for students to reach mastery of each benchmark by the end of the grade range; however, teachers may want to revisit the earlier skills periodically. Learning Goals 1. Demonstrates a range of communication and social skills to interact effectively. 2. Cultivates constructive relationships with others. 3. Identifies and demonstrates approaches to addressing interpersonal conflict.