LESSON ONE

MAKING A GOOD (FIRST AND LAST) IMPRESSION

Teaching Objective

To develop in students an awareness of how they are perceived by others and how to improve the impression they make by using the six S's to introduce themselves to others. You might tell your teen(s) about an embarrassing or awkward moment in your own life when you were a stranger at an event. Perhaps no one came over to introduce himself or herself to you, and you did not know how or even if you should introduce yourself. Tell your students that if you had learned the six S's earlier, you could have avoided this uncomfortable feeling.

Preparation and Supplies

A wall or hand mirror for demonstration and practice of facial expressions and body language.

About This Lesson

Life as a teen is not always easy. A teenager's body is growing from a child into a responsible adult, and sometimes our teens find themselves caught in between—no longer a child and yet not quite a grown-up. Your role as the instructor for this lesson is to gently and patiently encourage the teen while gladly applauding his or her efforts to learn and practice the six S's. One of your main goals is never to embarrass the teen.

ACTIVITY I

Go over the student pages with your teen(s), helping them to learn and memorize the six S's. Arrange for each student to have a partner with whom he or she can comfortably practice the six S's as well as proper body language postures. Create your own scenarios of meeting different types of people with different titles. Encourage the student(s) to think up different situations to practice in introducing themselves to new people. Keep a watchful eye on the practice sessions and monitor the tone, attitude, and method each partner uses when giving a critique of his or her partner. Make learning manners fun—see that no one gets embarrassed or gets their feelings hurt.

Tell the student(s) before the lesson that you will be stopping and correcting them in their practice sessions when you see a mistake, but that outside the classroom situation, you will not correct them in public because you do not want to embarrass them.

ACTIVITY II

Demonstrate various body language postures and ask the student(s) to tell you what they think about them. Re-create some negative messages you have seen people portray in their body language, such as, slumping, placing one's hands on the hips, standing with one's hands clasped in a V in front of the lower part of the body, and walking with one's hands in pockets. Always explain why the message is negative and try to give a positive alternative.

image

  1. Why are first impressions so important? Answer: Answers will vary.
  2. Name the six S's. Answer: Stand, Smile, See their eyes, Shake hands, Say your name, Say the person's name back to them.
  3. Name at least three reasons we should always repeat someone's name when we are introduced. Answer: 1) It helps us remember it; 2) it assures that we say it correctly; and 3) people like it when we say their name.
  4. When is the only appropriate time to correct someone's manners? Answer: In private, or when they ask us to do so.
  5. Why is it a good idea to give a little more information about yourself than simply your name? Answer: To facilitate conversation.