April Report
Hello everyone!
Here are some photos and a short summary of our Effective Communication session.
It was great to see how much more familiar and comfortable the teens already seemed with each other when they arrived. Many of them came in and immediately began chatting with the mentors and with other teens who arrived at the same time, which was very encouraging to watch.
We began with a name memory game and a quick “heads down, heads up” ice-breaker to help everyone settle in, and then jumped into our first main activity which was a movement version of broken telephone. The teens stood in a line and had to pass a short (sometimes silly) movement sequence from one person to the next, without talking and without seeing it more than once. By the time the movement reached the last person, it had usually changed quite a lot from the original.
This gave us a useful way to talk about how communication is not only about sending a message, but also about making sure that message has been understood. We discussed how easily small details can be left out, changed, or misunderstood, even when nobody is trying to get it wrong. The teens reflected on how this can happen in real life too — with friends, in group projects, at home, or when instructions are passed from one person to another. They also brought up the danger of gossip, and how stories change as they are passed on.
The next activity focused on giving clear step-by-step instructions. The teens wrote down the instructions to make a peanut butter sandwich, and then volunteered to read their instructions to our mentor “chef”. Hilarity ensued as they realised how many steps they left out because they seemed obvious.
We then moved into a back-to-back building activity using toothpicks and gummy sweets. One teen was the instructor and the other was the builder. The instructor had to describe a structure without showing the builder the picture, while the builder had to listen and try to recreate it. This was a very useful activity because both people could feel that they were doing their part properly, while still ending up with very different understandings of the same task. Some instructors felt they were explaining clearly, while some builders felt confused or unsure. This helped us talk about how two people can experience the same conversation very differently.
It was interesting to watch the teens starting (mostly out of frustration) to think ‘out the box’ with their explanations. One example that stood out was when one of the boys tried to help his partner by saying, “Make a Minecraft head,” thinking that this was something that his partner could easily picture and identify with. It was exasperating to him that his easy way of explaining a cube was not understood in the way he expected. It was also pleasing to see how quickly some of the builders began checking whether they were on the right track as they moved through the steps. This led to a useful discussion about the role of the person receiving communication too. Listening is not only about staying quiet and following instructions. It can also mean asking questions, checking understanding, and making sure you are interpreting the message correctly.
We asked questions such as: Were you more focused on getting your idea across, or on making sure the other person understood? Is explaining something the same as being understood? Whose responsibility is communication — the speaker, the listener, or both? The teens were able to reflect on how instructions could have been clearer, slower, more specific, or broken down into smaller steps. They also recognised that communication is a shared process, and that both people play a role in helping the message become clear.
It was a sweltering day, and we had to move some of our planned activities inside. Check out the videos of the Blindfolded Landmine experience, which was chaotic but fun in a smaller space.
What stood out to me in this session was how much more freely the teens seemed to engage. They were willing to work with partners who had been allocated to them, and they spoke and played constructively throughout the activities and reflections. It was lovely to see them becoming more relaxed with one another and more willing to share their thoughts.
We missed the teens who were not able to be there this time, and we look forward to seeing them again next month.
The next session is on 31 May. I’ll check attendance closer to the time.
