Love and communication.

Today we talked about communication and did a couple of activities to emphazise how important the non-verbal is. Here is an example from the wonderful world of the interweb:

Consider the case of Arlene:
Arlene is attractive and has no problem meeting eligible men — it’s keeping them that is the problem! Arlene is funny and a good conversationalist, but even though she laughs and smiles constantly, she radiates tension. Arlene’s shoulders and eyebrows are noticeably raised, her voice is shrill and her body stiff to touch. Being around Arlene makes many people feel uncomfortable. Arlene has a lot going for her that is undercut by the discomfort she evokes in others.
Arlene is articulate, attractive, and well-intentioned, but she struggles to connect with others because she isn’t aware of the nonverbal messages she’s communicating. But she can break this pattern if she learns to pay attention to the wordless signals she sends and receives:
Arlene notices that her date is tapping his fingers and that she has been swinging her leg and foot. He looks bored, and she feels tense all over. Taking a long, deep breath and a swallow of wine, she feels her shoulders drop and her jaw relax. Arlene leans across the table and breaks into a warm smile. Her date smiles back, and their eyes meet and hold. She has also used her new observational skills at work and is now much more comfortable interacting with others in that setting. (from http://www.helpguide.org/mental/eq6_nonverbal_communication.htm)

See, I told you this class would help with your love life. I'm joking, but serious at the same time (what's the emoticon for that?). How you use your body makes a HUGE difference in how people respond to you.

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Tomorrow we will begin our Fairytales unit. If you have any favourite stories from childhood, you are invited to bring them in!