Teachers must first identify which students have difficulties with social skills. This can be identified through observation, where teachers watch daily student interactions. This helps the teacher understand how the student interacts with his peers. Common behavioral problems indicating poor social skills include aggression, inappropriate social responses and social withdrawal.
Teachers can also ask students to report on how accomplished they are at social interaction. Self-reporting gives teachers access to the inner lives of the students, allowing teachers to find opportunities to challenge beliefs that cause students not to socialize effectively. For example, a student might believe that she's boring and that no one wants to talk to her. A teacher can challenge that belief.
Teachers can coach students in social problem solving by giving them advice and rules regarding interaction. For example, a student may often change subjects in a conversation, which irritates others, yet the student doesn't notice this. The teacher can help the student become aware of the problems with this practice and can give the student alternatives to ineffective social practices. Many students don't know how to be assertive, which prevents them from asking questions or voicing complaints. This prevents students from having their needs met. Teachers should continually encourage students to assert themselves.
Some students aren't familiar with social manners. Teachers can create a chart that lists manners and hang the chart on the wall. Students looking around the room will notice the chart and memorize the rules of manners. The teacher should remind students about proper manners when they deviate. For example, the teacher may remind students to take turns when having conversations.
Role-playing allows students to become comfortable with certain social interactions and develop new skills through practice. Role-playing is especially helpful when students are learning appropriate conflict resolution skills. During role-playing, students can learn healthy ways to respond to normal social interactions, such as teasing, jokes and compliments, which makes some students uncomfortable. Teachers can have two adults come into the classroom and act out a scene where they model appropriate responses to social situations to help students learn healthy ways to solve problems.