Social Skills
Overcoming Shyness & Making New Friends
Team members: R.J. Brown, Devin Epps,
Dyneshia Fletcher, Silas Robie
Mentor: Molly Ritts
How can we make new friends?
Friendship is very important to a student. Friendship is good for everyone. Students with friends may do better in school. How can a shy student meet new friends?
There are several ways a student can make new friends. First, be friendly and say “hello”. Active listening is important. This means paying attention when talking to someone. Look at the person when talking and let them finish talking. It is also helpful to ask open ended questions. This means asking questions that can be answered with longer statements. Talk about a hobby you both may enjoy.
IMG_6834.MOVHow to say, "Hello" to a new friend
What is shyness?
Have you ever wondered how people get shy or what causes shyness? Here are the facts. What is shyness? Shyness is the likelihood to feel awkward, worried, or tense during conversations or other interactions with unfamiliar people. Shy people may have physical symptoms like blushing, sweating, or a pounding heart feeling. They also might have negative feelings about themselves. What causes shyness? New situations can bring out shyness, like the first day of school. People are most likely to feel shy when they are not sure how to act. People are less likely to feel shy in situations where they know what to expect, like if they know they are going to the movies or going to class or an online class. Now you might be wondering, can shyness be a good thing? Being shy is sometimes good because shy people can sometimes have a calming mood. It's because you're probably not going to talk to a lot of people, which means that you probably are not going to get in a fight with some people, which means you are not going to shout really loud.
That covers the facts but you still might be wondering, how do people overcome shyness or stuff like that. So here are the answers. How do people overcome shyness? Practicing giving speeches or presentations can help. Also telling jokes or stories can help. Talking and expressing your feelings can help. Because all of this stuff involves talking to people then that can practice your skills of talking to random people, which most likely if you are shy then you have a hard time talking to people. What percentage of humans are shy in the world? For kids, 1 in every 10 kids are shy. And for the whole world, it is estimated that 40-60 percent of all adults are shy. That's more than I expected!
Well, if you are shy, you can try to overcome shyness using these skills, or if you're not shy, if you see someone that is shy then you can tell them some tips on how to overcome shyness.
Thank you to our primary source expert!
Deedra Strang, Mercer Speech Pathologist
Mrs. Strang helps kids with all types of language and communication issues. They are part of the special education team. She may work with kids one-on-one or in small groups, or she may co-teach lessons with the classroom teacher.
Colleen Krawczak, Mercer School Psychologist
Mrs. Krawczak is a specially qualified members of school teams that support students' ability to learn and teachers' ability to teach. They apply expertise in mental health, learning, and behavior, to help children and youth succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally.
Interview highlights
We can use our RULER tools to help us manage our emotions
The Metamoment is especially helpful in understanding other people's perspectives and solving problems
The Mood Meter helps us reflect and regulate how we are feeling so we feel more in control and confident
When making new friends, there are a few things that help us feel comfortable and get over being shy:
Say, "Hello"
Smile
Find something you have in common
Invite someone to play a game
Remember that it's okay and normal to feel shy when you are in a new situation