Author
EVERFI Content Team
When you think back to your time in school, what do you remember most? Is it the homework and tests, or is it the relationships you built with others? If you’re like most people, it’s the latter. But, how do those friends influence behavior?Recent studies have concluded that friendships are more important than you might think. In many cases, they’re even among the biggest indicators of success in school. Of course, that could be a problem for the students who don’t make friends easily, which is why they need your help. After all, as teachers, we have a great opportunity to help students improve their peer relationships in school. Here’s why that’s important and how to get started.
The Impact of Peer Relationships
Childhood friendships are more important than you might think. First, they help children develop the social skills they’ll need to succeed in life. Those skills include the following:
- Cooperation
- Problem solving
- Communication
As most adults have learned, those skills are important both at school and in the workforce. Peer relationships can also help children learn to control their emotions and respond to others appropriately. Better grades are also among the perks of friendships, as several studies have shown that socially active students oftenhave better academic outcomes at school.
How Teachers Can Nurture Friendships Among Students
Now that we know how important peer relationships are in the classroom, it makes sense to spend time encouraging students to make friends. Granted, most of our schedules are stretched to the limit, leaving us little time to focus on encouraging friendships. But luckily, some of the most effective methods are quick, easy, and fit in well with most classroom plans. Here are some examples:
Help Kids Introduce Themselves Early On
The first week of school is the perfect time to plan activities that help kids introduce themselves to their peers. One of themost popular options involves a worksheet with a different box for each detail. To play the game, students have to find a peer with that detail. For example, if the box says “has a sister,” students mingle with classmates until they find someone who has a sister, and then they can write that person’s name in the box. This can get kids talking early in the year.
Use Small Groups During the School Year
Another way to get students talking is to set up group activities whenever possible. Shy students are more likely to talk in small groups than in larger groups, so you might have some success when you ask them to complete social activities, likesharing stories based on questions you ask. And of course, just having students work on in-class projects and worksheets in small groups can nudge them to be more social and even make friends
Show Students Their Value
You can also encourage peer relationships by making it clear you enjoy being around your students, showing they have social value. For instance, if you have a student who doesn’t have any friends, you can show the other students that he or she is interesting or kind. You can do this bytalking to and laughing with the student in front of the class, which will not only boost the student’s self esteem but also drive others to try to get to know him or her.
Help Students Show Off Their Strengths
Another way to spotlight a student’s value as a friend is to allow opportunities for him or her to show everyone some unique skills. For example, if you know a student is great at baking, ask him or her to bring in baked goods that complement a lesson plan, such as when you’re teaching the class about a particular country that values certain foods. Or maybe a student knows a lot about weather systems, in which case you can offer extra credit if he or she makes a presentation to the class when you’re teaching about weather.This tactic is especially helpful with older students whose value as a friend might have been overlooked by others.
Encourage Students to Get Involved
By encouraging students to participate in extracurricular activities, you can play a role in helping them strengthen their relationships with peers.Joining clubs can help students find others with similar interests, which often leads to more friends. And if you have a few students whose interests are not represented by clubs yet, suggest that they start one. If possible, let them know you can sponsor it, or at least cheer them on as they start planning the new club.
As teachers, we have the influence necessary to not only educate our students but also to help them create and retain friendships that will both influence behavior and benefit them for life. Following these tips can help you make a difference in your classroom when it comes to supporting peer relationships among your students.
FAQs
Peer relationships can also help children learn to control their emotions and respond to others appropriately. Better grades are also among the perks of friendships, as several studies have shown that socially active students often have better academic outcomes at school.
How do friends influence our behavior? ›
Peer pressure can have a significant impact on our brain and behavior, consciously and unconsciously. Our desire to fit in with our peers can overrule our true beliefs and values, leading us to engage in behaviours that we might have never considered before.
How do your friends influence you in the development of your personality? ›
Solid friendships can help you shed pounds, sleep better, stop smoking, and even survive a major illness. They can also improve memory and problem-solving abilities, break down prejudices and ethnic rivalries, motivate people to achieve career dreams, and even repair a broken heart.
Why is friendship important in school? ›
Friendships Can Help Reduce Stress
Having a peer to lean on can help children deal with any negative emotions that may arise at school. Friendships can provide a support system and bolster mental health when children face difficulties with their learning, extracurricular activities or classmates.
How do friends influence children? ›
But peer influence is a better way to describe how teenagers' behaviour is shaped by wanting to feel they belong to a group of friends or peers. Peer pressure and influence can be positive. For example, your child might be influenced to become more assertive, try new activities or get more involved with school.
How does peer influence affect students' academic performance? ›
Peer level factors also have a relationship with students' academic performance. Students whose friends engage in negative activities such as use of drugs, sneaking out of school and being absent from school chronically are likely to have lower academic performance.
How do others influence your behavior? ›
Social influence is ubiquitous in human societies. It takes a wide variety of forms, including obedience, conformity, persuasion, social loafing, social facilitation, deindividuation, observer effect, bystander effect, and peer pressure.
How do friends influence you essay? ›
Friendship is a lovely relation without which life seems dull. It is the relationship with our friends that teaches us to share, love, care and most importantly helps us to fight odds and be successful. Having true friends acts as a boon. Friends increase the sense of belongingness and generate a feel-good factor.
What are 5 ways friends can be a bad influence? ›
5 Signs that Your Friends are Negative Influences on Your Life
- They make you feel insecure. ...
- You feel pressured to do things you don't want to. ...
- Your friendship seems like a one-way street. ...
- You feel like you're walking on eggshells around them. ...
- They get (a little) too jealous.
Here are the 10 best, classic lessons we learn from Carnegie's How To Win Friends And Influence People:
- Do Not Criticize, Condemn or Complain. ...
- Be Generous With Praise. ...
- Remember Their Name. ...
- Be Genuinely Interested In Other People. ...
- Know The Value Of Charm. ...
- Be Quick To Acknowledge Your Own Mistakes.
Often, it is the influence of family and friends that enables us to grow and evolve in significant ways. They challenge our perspectives, stimulate our minds, and introduce us to new ideas, all of which contribute to our personal growth.
How do friends impact development? ›
Friendships can have a positive impact on a child's self-esteem and ability to navigate social situations throughout the rest of their lives. In fact, child psychologists find early childhood friendships contribute to children's quality of life and help them adjust to changes in their environment as well.
How do friends affect school performance? ›
Friendships can positively impact students' academic performance and grade point average (GPA) by providing emotional support and reducing stress, thereby leading to improved focus and better concentration on studies.
How to behave with friends in school? ›
How To Be More Friendly?
- Make Eye Contact & Smile. Smiling at others goes a long way. ...
- A Simple “Hi” Will Do. ...
- Be Aware Of Your Body Language. ...
- Be Encouraging. ...
- Allow People Their Space. ...
- Take The Lead — Don't Wait! ...
- Ask People Questions About Themselves. ...
- Practice Talking To Others.
Friendships are very important to a school-age child. They help a child grow. They help her develop the self-confidence and social skills she will need as an adult.
How friends and peers influence personal behaviour? ›
Peer Quality, Not Quantity. Positive and negative peer influences can affect more than just your behavior. They can also change the way you feel. Studies show that, in general, the more friends you have and the more time you spend with them, the happier you are.
How does relationship affect students' academic performance? ›
Romantic relationships have been found to have an impact on academic performance among students. Several studies have shown that being in a romantic relationship can lead to distractions, stress, and low academic performance. However, the specific effects may vary depending on the gender of the student.
How do friends influence your socialization? ›
Children and adolescents observe the dress and behaviours of their friends and either strive to be similar or are pressured to conform. In addition to such lifestyle choices, children and adolescents' opinions and attitudes are frequently shaped by those held by their friends.
How does friendship influence child development? ›
This makes sense: When children establish strong friendships, they have higher self-esteem and are better able to focus on doing well in school without feeling sad and lonely. We cannot understate the value of social and emotional support provided by friends either.
