Today’s Soft Skill: Eye Contact
Why is Eye Contact Important?
Before we try to answer this question, let’s do a few experiments together:
Your first challenge:
At the sound of the chime, stand up and slowly start walking around the room WITHOUT making eye contact with anyone. You can look anywhere EXCEPT into someone’s eyes. Do this until you hear the sound of the chime again.
RECORD YOUR THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS:
Return to your desk and think about how it felt to move among your friends and NOT look them in the eye.
In a sentence or two, jot your thoughts and feelings onto the record sheet you’ve been given.
Your Second Challenge:
For this next challenge, you are going to stand up again.
At the sound of the chime, start walking slowly around the room once more. This time, as you walk, try to make BRIEF eye contact with someone else. The MOMENT you make eye contact, look away quickly and continue walking around the room. Keep making BRIEF eye contact with different people until you hear the sound of the chime.
RECORD YOUR THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS:
Return to your desk and think about how it felt to move among your friends looking only briefly at them.
In a sentence or two, jot your thoughts and feelings onto the record sheet you’ve been provided with.
Your Third Challenge:
For the third challenge, you are going to start with a partner:
At the sound of the chime, one partner looks directly into the other partner’s eyes and tells the name of their favorite book, TV show or movie AND why it is their favorite. Then switch. If either person loses eye contact at any time during this conversation, the other partner quickly turns and walks away without talking. Find another partner and repeat the challenge. Do this until you hear the sound of the chime, moving from partner to partner as needed.
RECORD YOUR THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS:
Return to your desk and think about how it felt to try and make prolonged eye contact while talking and maybe even have someone walk away in the middle of the conversation.
In a sentence or two, jot your thoughts and feelings onto the record sheet you’ve been provided with.
HOW DID IT FEEL? TALKING IT OVER...
Take a look at your record sheet and your jots from each of the experiments. Think about your feelings as we completed the challenges:
How did you feel after Challenge #1? Turn and talk to your table partners about your thought jots. Share your feelings and/or observations with your partners.
Whole class share - Report out big ideas to share with the group.
HOW DID IT FEEL? TALKING IT OVER...
How did you feel after Challenge #2? Turn and talk to your table partners about your thought jots. Share your feelings and/or observations with your partners.
Whole class share - Report out big ideas to share with the group.
Challenge #3? Turn and talk...
Whole class share - Report out big ideas to share with the group.
Why is Eye Contact Important?
Now how might we answer this question?
With your table group, and working together, compile a list of answers to this question on the easel paper you’ve been provided with. List any and all of your group’s responses to this question AND be ready to share your answers with the rest of the class at the end of the work time.
Groups report out responses recorded on easel paper.
Any common themes? Have we answered the question?
EYE CONTACT: THE FINAL WORD