10 impactful ways to boost interpersonal skills in students
Rohan Parikh
Humans are born with certain innate interpersonal skills, wherein they start to recognise faces, make eye contact, smile, and understand voices. As they grow, they use verbal and non-verbal communication to express themselves or articulate what they need. However, interpersonal skills aren’t developed in a day. It’s a process that needs a dedicated amount of time from both – children and educators. We know that children are our legacy of the future. What we inculcate in them today is what they carry with them, throughout their lives.
As educators, it’s best to leave the field open for children to interact and converse with each other and organically build their interpersonal skills. As we start working on our students’ interpersonal skills, they become more confident, which enhances their overall personalities. Our students learn better by expressing their opinions and appreciating others’ views. They start respecting different customs, values, diversity – which brings them out of a shell and broadens their mindset.
While we have been working on our students’ interpersonal skills and watching them grow, here are some of the most effective techniques that can teach students interpersonal skills.
Listening to what they have to say: We ensure that we listen to what our students have to say. This not only makes them realise the importance of listening but also allows them to be more attentive towards others. Listening also gives the students the confidence to share their doubts and feedback.
Building their decision-making skill: Children today know what they want and are not hesitant to ask for it. From deciding what they wear to what they eat – they’re sure, and this is what we like to build on. We let children make their decisions and make them accountable for their choices.
Making them more assertive: In this day and age, it’s vital for children to take a stand for what they believe in. We encourage our students to express their opinions as well as acknowledge others’ emotions, wants, and feelings.
Improving their verbal communication: We work closely with our children to teach them the importance of verbal communication. We help them focus on their tone and voice and urge them to make it more expressive and communicative.
Exploring their non-verbal communication skills: Some children find it difficult to express how they feel. At such times, we teach them the art of non-verbal communication, wherein they can say a lot through their body language, facial expressions, and eye contact.
Enhancing their teamwork: We organise numerous activities that require participation from our students. When our children participate in several activities, they come in contact with their own age group people, which gives them an opportunity to interact and build a rapport with them.
Teaching them the art of empathy: We ensure that our students are empathetic towards others – be it their parents, teachers, or peers. Helping others and supporting them when they need are the small ways in which our students go out of their way to be there for others.
Helping them solve problems easily: Our focus is always on making every child independent in the way they think and in the way they work. Problem-solving skill is one of the crucial skills that a student needs to learn right from the beginning. We help our students use their critical thinking abilities and logical reasoning capabilities to assess a problem, identify plausible solutions, and resolve that particular issue.
Inculcating the never give up attitude in them: We teach our children some basic rules of life. One of the rules is – life is always going to be challenging but what matters is how we never give up. Hence, our students learn the importance of never giving up easily and going on till they’ve achieved their goals.
Give it a go – no matter what: Our students are bubbling with curious energy. This curiosity needs to be nurtured and utilised well. So, we give our children the liberty to find something exciting and go for it if their heart believes it. Be it a new concept or a question, our students know that the world is their oyster.
Children are what we make them. We believe that they’re like clay – with the right care, attention to detail, and nurturing – they can be moulded in the best possible way. Working on their interpersonal skills today will make them more confident and equipped to take on the world tomorrow. As they interact with new people, they come across new cultures and different ways of life. Hence, it’s our responsibility to teach them vital interpersonal skills that can go a long way in ensuring that they grow up to become adaptable and well-rounded individuals.
The writer is Managing Director of The Green Acres Academy – Schools by The Acres Foundation
