Goal: To improve social-relationship skills
Objective(s): The student will demonstrate the necessary skills to appropriately introduce himself/herself.
Process Steps:
1. Decide if you want to meet the person.
2. Decide if it is a good time.
3. Walk up to the person.
4. Introduce yourself.
5. Wait for the person to tell you his/her name. If the person doesn't tell you, ask.
Discuss
Definition: To introduce yourself means to let someone else know who you are.
Rationale: Introduce yourself when meeting new people and making new friends.
Where/When/Comments:
• Discuss the different language used when making formal and
informal introductions.
• Talk about strategies to help people remember a name when
they are introduced to someone.
• A good time to introduce yourself is when you want to talk
to someone who doesn't know your name.
• Introduce yourself when people introduce themselves to
you.
• Have students think of several situations when they would
need to introduce themselves (meeting a new student, teacher,
waiting for an appointment to your boss, first day of school).
• Discuss situations when students would not want to give
someone their name.
• Ask students for examples of situations where they were
new to a group (new school, start of integrations, etc.).
Set the Stage:
• Invite the school principal or other authority figure into
the class and demonstrate formal introductions.
• Invite a little known relative, friend, etc. to your class
to share an activity (story, snack, etc.) with class. Discuss how
important and more comfortable it is to know a person's name.
• Play "Name Game" with the guided script to learn
names and build rapport.
(Special School District, 1989 p. 103)
Model/Role-play with Feedback
• Model appropriate handshaking.
Role play situations:
• There is a new student in your classroom.
• A friend of your parents is visiting your home. You
introduce yourself to the friend.
• A new boy or girl moves into your neighborhood. You
introduce yourself to the new neighbor.
• You introduce yourself to several classmates at the start
of the school year.
• You are bringing a new friend over to your house. Show how
you would introduce your friend and parents to each other.
• You and a friend and run into someone you babysit for.
Introduce the two of them to each other.
• It is the first day of your new job. You have never met
the person who works next to you. Introduce yourself.
• Your sister's date is waiting for her. Introduce yourself
to him.
• You are sent to escort a guest speaker to the auditorium.
Introduce yourself.
• You need to let the receptionist know that you have
arrived for your dental appointment. Introduce yourself to her.
• You see someone you would like to talk to. Introduce
yourself.
• You meet your new bus driver.
• New neighbors move in.
• You meet a new relative at a family reunion.
Application with Feedback
• Write out steps for a homework assignment and list five
examples of when they could use the skill.
• Use crossword puzzles/word searches using the process
steps.
• Give each student an index card. When they introduce
themselves to a teacher at school, have the teacher initial the
card.
• Send the student on an errand to give a message to a
teacher the student doesn't know. Instruct the student to
introduce themselves to the teacher.
• Ask students to initiate work with another student they
don't know.
• Have a new person come into the classroom.
• When out on a field trip, observe students.
• Have an unknown student come into the classroom and take a
seat at the table.
• Invite a guest speaker and allow students to initiate
introduction.
• Students may self report an introduction (who, when,
where) made within a one week time period.
Social Skills Curriculum Guide, 1992
Special School District of St. Louis County