Two to Tangle

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  CTE Lesson Plan

• CTE Course Info and Benchmark Notes

  
  

  Program Title (as applicable):

  Customer Service Representative

  Course Title:

  Customer Service Representative

  Course Number:

  8848100

  Career Cluster:

  Marketing, Sales & Services

  CIP Number:

  0252041100

  Course Type:

  CAR-PREP - High School Career Preparatory Program

• Unit Outline

  
  

  This lesson is designed to be used with the case study, "Two to Tangle." See CPALMS resource ID#215843.

• Career Connection

  
  

  Occupation specific skills introduced in this lesson will increase student empathy and compassion while building caring, positive attitudes when working with the public. Students will employ critical thinking and interpersonal skills to resolve conflicts. Students will understand the importance of communication skills necessary for successful conflict resolution as applied to simulated work problems.

• Learning Objectives

  
  

  Students will be able to:

  • Discuss effective communication (verbal and non-verbal) in generating successful conflict resolution.
  • Role-play responding to an irate client keeping in mind their company’s business brand.
  • Construct a reflection log to show conflict resolution techniques.

• Prior Knowledge

  
  

  Students should be familiar with prior terminology:

  brand, sales, communication, products, service, customer care, active listening, conflict resolution, body language, non-verbal communication

• Guiding Questions

  
  
  1. Can you explain the role of effective communication in generating successful conflict resolution?
  2. In your own words, how would you describe empathy? communication? compassion?
  3. How would you model cooperation? adaptability?

• Procedure

  
  
  1. To introduce the lesson, poll students on who’s seen a viral video of customers/clients acting irrational.
  • Guiding Questions could include:
  • What role could active listening play in conflict resolution?
  • How could showing concern for others resolve the conflict?
  • Did all parties involved practice social awareness/orientation?
  • What does it mean to take the high road?
  2. Turn-and-Talk Activity: Guess my Emoji! This game introduces several non-verbal expressions that students take turns acting out and guessing the expression or term.

  Pre-lesson: Print and cut emotion labels or emoji images for students to role play.

  List of Actionable Emotions could include:

  Bored, happiness, sadness, fearful, anger, excitement, confused, shy, embarrassed, disgust, joy, surprise, curiosity, confidence and acceptance

  • Group students into pairs
  • Use a phone or free online timer and set it for 30-45 seconds for each round
  • Student A will pull an emotions (such as being Bored) to act out using non-verbal clues
  • Student B will try and guess the emotion
  • Once the timer goes off, if the emoji is not guessed then it could be shared or put back into the stack.
  • Then students will swap roles and play again.

  3. Discussion/comprehension questions:

  • • How important is the ability to read the room, i.e. customers non-verbal clues prior to engaging in a conversation?
    • How would you affirm someone through active listening?

  4. Student-centered and integrated activity: Divide students pairs or small groups and give them the Case Study ID# 215843 Two to Tangle to read.

  5. After reading the case study, students will discuss these guiding questions:

  • • What could each character have done differently to resolve this conflict?
    • What role could active listening play in this case study?
    • From each character’s perspective, what would compassion look like?
    • What critical thinking skills or interpersonal skills would you have employed to resolve this conflict?

  6. Student groups will construct/role play a reenactment of the case study demonstrating alternate outcomes using active listening skills.

  7. Students can now work in pairs or small groups to fill in the Reflection Log labeled ‘Two to Tangle’ using the guiding questions on the student handout.

  • • Example: What are some ways you can create/produce/build a more caring positive environment when working with the public? Give examples.

  8. Exit Ticket: Students will list interpersonal skills necessary for employment in their future work.

• Teacher Notes

  
  
  • The hook will come from a memory or life experience surrounding conflict resolution that most students have encountered. If you would prefer a common experience, you can pull a viral video clip from the internet of someone acting irrationally.
  • Extension Activity: Students can research how other customers are impacted when someone acts irrationally and using their understanding of conflict resolution, develop alternate outcomes of those situations.