Lesson Planning Guide

Title: Interpersonal Communication Skills/Core Skills for Certified Nursing Assistants

Time Required: 2.5 hoursSubmitted By: Nutan Varma, nvarma@cccc.edu

Lesson Contextualized Toward: ☒Career Pathway: Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

Students: Beginning to Intermediate level ESL learners (Tier 1 Career Infused Instruction)

Content Standards Benchmarks Taught:Reading: R.4.2.1 Read instructional level text orally, with fluency and accuracy and with appropriate pacing, intonation and expression with understanding and purpose.Writing: W.3.3.3 Identify the understood subject of a command.Speaking: S1.3.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one and in groups), building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly

Digital Literacy Skills Taught: Basic computer skills, use of Internet and online resources, and useof ThingLink, a digital platform for creating interactive images and videos

Objectives/Learning Goals:

Students will be able to: learn and understand the importance of interpersonal communication skills transfer the learned communication skills to work situations write basic sentences using commands (imperative form)

Rationale:

Good interpersonal communication skills are keys to developing other major life skills. They enable us to work more effectively in both formal and informal situations. They help to boost our self-esteem and confidence. Non-native speakers of English have an interest in the CNA program, yet they lack the communication skills to be successful. Today job success may largely depend on an employee's ability to communicate effectively at work.Materials/Resources Needed: Computer, Internet, flash cards, handout, poster, worksheet, and headphone with microphone

Procedure/Instructional Outline: Relate (10 minutes)

Ask students some questions related to the topic to generate discussion and create their interest. Describe one face-to-face communication situation you feel most comfortable with Class discussion on basic communication etiquette in different cultures.

Write the vocabulary on the board. Explain they’re going to learn effective communication skills important for private as well as professional life. Emphasize that the oral communication with native English speakers helps improve the English pronunciation and brings fluency in speaking.

Students will also learn to write simple imperative sentences and vocabulary in order to comprehend the meaning of the sentences.

Experience (10 minutes)

Watch a YouTube video on a conversation between Brazilian students who want to improve English speaking skill and elderly Americans living in a retirement home in Chicago who just want someone to interact with people. https://www. youtube .com/watch?v=-S-5EfwpFOk .

Apply (40 minutes)

Communication Activity: Ask the students to follow the directions exactly. No talking, no questions, and absolutely no peeking!

Hold a sheet of paper. Close your eyes. Fold your sheet in half. Tear off the upper right-hand corner of the sheet. Fold it in half again. Tear off the upper left-hand corner. Fold it in half again. Tear off the lower right-hand corner. Fold it in half again. Tear off the lower left-hand corner. Open your eyes now and unfold your sheet. Compare yours with others. Do they look same?

Debrief the possible reasons why they don’t look same; maybe lack of clear instructions, different ways to interpret directions, inability to ask questions, or inability to communicate with classmates. It’s important that speaker and listener understand each other.

Display a poster with a list of interpersonal communication skills and ask students to read each sentence loud.

Use the vocabulary cards and help them pronounce vocabulary using phonetic rules and word decoding strategies, so they can be able to read with fluency and comprehend the meanings.

Cooperate (30 minutes)

Students work in a small group and write five imperative sentences together. They learn that commands start with a verb and end with an object noun or pronoun. The subject is always you, but it is not usually stated in the sentence. Ex. (You) Open your book. Each group shares their sentences with the class.

Transfer (45 minutes)

Students practice reading and listening CNA communication and core skills at http://www.cnaenglish.org/.

Using ThingLink digital tool on CNA interactive lesson (that I have created for my class), students review all the material learned in the class. Students have been added as users, so they can access the material through their smartphones or computers at the following link: https://www.thinglink.com/scene/797719998373036032.

Assessment: Students work with partners. Each gets one slip. They read the instruction on their slip and communicate (enact) with each other accordingly. Rest of the class tells if they followed the communication etiquettes learned or not. Students take turn and repeat the same steps.

Critical Thinking/End-of-Class Discussion (10 minutes)

Students walk around the classroom, find partners, and tell each other what he/she learned in today’s class.

Homework Assignment:Visit to a nursing home in your area and communicate with the residents. Be prepared to share

with the class on the next meeting during review session.

Activity on Importance of Clear Communication

Give students a blank sheet of paper. Ask them to follow your directions. No talking, no questions, and absolutely no peeking!

Directions:

Close your eyes.

Fold your sheet in half.

Tear off the upper right-hand corner of the sheet.

Fold the sheet in half again.

Tear off the upper left-hand corner.

Fold the sheet in half again.

Tear off the lower right-hand corner.

Fold the sheet in half again.

Tear off the lower left-hand corner.

Open your eyes now and unfold your paper.

Compare with others.

Discussion: Observe differences and ask the students why they don’t look same. Debrief the possible reasons; maybe lack of clear instructions, different ways to interpret directions, inability to ask questions, or inability to communicate with classmates. It’s important that speaker and the listener understand each other. Students understand the importance of clear communication.

Flash Cards: Interpersonal Communication Skills

Informal Assessment

Collaborative Activity: Cut out the slips for Student A and B. Each picks one slip, reads, and enacts. Other students guess if they follow the basic communication etiquettes. Student A always initiates the conversation. Teacher keeps the slips with texts in red color, as they are answers.  

Student A

1. Hello, my name is Sandra Westbrook.

Student B

2. Hello Sandra, how are you?

Class: Wrong. Call by formal name as Ms. Westbrook.

Student ATell the class, “I’m a nurse assistant.”

1. Hello, my name is Maria Perez. How are you today?

Student BTell the class, “I’m a patient.”

2. I’m fine, thank you.

Class: Wrong. Also tell the patient your job title. I’m your nurse assistant today.

Student ATell the class, “I’m a nurse assistant.”

1. Hi, Mr. Andrew, how are you?

Student BTell the class, “I’m a patient. My name is John Wakefield.”

2. I’m fine, thank you.

Class: Wrong. Call by formal name using the last name as Ms. Westbrook.

Student ATell the class, “I’m a nurse assistant.”

Open the door (without knocking) and say:

1. Hello, Ms. Davy. My name is Lionela Valdez. I’m your nurse assistant today.

Student BTell the class, “I’m a patient. My name is Olivia Davy.”

2. Hello, how are you?

Class: Wrong. Knock on the door before entering the patient’s room.

Student ATell the class, “I’m a nurse assistant.”

1. I’m going to do EKG on you.

3. Don’t worry; I’ll take care of it.

Student BTell the class, “I’m a patient.”

2. EKG? What’s that? How will you do that? Does it hurt?

Class: Wrong. Patient has the right to know about the procedure.

Role-play: Nurse Assistant - Patient Dialogue

N: Nurse Assistant (Maria Sanchez), P: Patient (John Wakefield)

N: Hello, Mr. Wakefield. My name is Maria Sanchez. I’m your nurse assistant today. How are you?

P: Great! Thank you.

N: I have got a nice lunch for you. Are you hungry?

P: Yes, I am. (Patient eats…after a pause)

P: I’m done. It was delicious!

N: Thanks. May I take your tray back?

P: Yes, you may. Thank you.

N: Do you want to go for a walk, Mr. Wakefield?

P: That’s a great idea!

N: Ok. Let me put this transfer belt around your waist.

P: Around my chest?

N: No, around your waist. It will help me walk you around. May I?

P: Ok. Fine.

N: Thank you.

Vocabulary Cards

Vocabulary

Vocabulary Meaning

polite/courteous showing good manners

clarify to make an idea or statement clear

attentive giving attention to others

interpersonal relations between persons

confidence a feeling or belief that you can do something well

knock to hit something in order to get people's attention

permission allowed to do something

elderly senior citizen/ old person

eye contact looking directly into another's eyes

respect to show regard to others

miscommunication to communicate unclearly, misunderstanding

honesty showing truthfulness

Communication Skills VocabularyMatch the following words on the left with the correct definition on the right.

1. polite/courteous a. to show regard to others

2. clarify b. giving attention to others

3. attentive c. senior citizens

4. interpersonal d. a feeling or belief that you can do something well 

5. confidence e. allowed to do something

6. knock f. looking directly into another's eyes

7. permission g. relations between persons

8. miscommunication h. to make an idea or statement clear

9. eye contact i. to hit something in order to get people's attention

10. respect j. truthfulness

11. elderly k. to communicate unclearly

12. honesty l. showing good manners