built_fjord_tough: (Over the Shoulder)
Fjord ([personal profile] built_fjord_tough) wrote in [community profile] fandomhigh2018-11-19 11:57 am

How to Make Friends & Influence People | 4th Period | Monday

Fjord was... quiet today, standing a little off to the side of the front of the room, arms crossed over his chest, frowning. A little.

"Sometimes," he said, at length, "things happen that'll leave the people around you a little bit out of sorts." Not that he was listing examples or anything, but he figured people could use their imaginations. "Today, we're going to talk about giving people what they need in order to recover from whatever those things might be."

Carter was also frowning, but it was very much because he was restraining himself from fussing over Fjord.

"It's important to consider what they need, rather than what you want to do," Carter said, smiling at the class, since he didn't want them to think both their teachers were unsettled today. "Your inclination might be to rush in with hugs and offers to talk, while what they might need is quiet and space to think. And vice versa, leaving someone alone when they want to talk could just make things worse. It's about tailoring your reaction to their needs—though, of course, they are also responsible for communicating their needs to you in the first place."

"Not that they'll always necessarily be able to," Fjord noted. "Sometimes, when a person isn't doing well, reaching out to other people seems like the most difficult thing in the world. Like they're an inconvenience, or they'll only be throwing themselves out there just to get hurt even more. It can be a complicated thing, trying to figure out what the best way to approach a hurting friend might be." He paused a moment. "I suppose the same thing applies here as it does anywhere else. If you aren't certain what a person needs... ask. If they say they need space, give it to them. At the very least, they'll know you care."

"And that's really the important thing," Carter added. "Letting them know that you care and that you're there if they need you. Now, we'd like you all to take a few minutes to write down the things you like people to do when you're feeling down, or hurting, or scared. If you'd like to discuss them with your classmates after, or with either of us, please feel free but this is not a necessity."

Fjord lifted a shoulder.

"Don't even need to write 'em down if you're not feeling secure about the possibility of sharing," he replied. "Just think it over, at least." A pause. "And help yourself to the cookies and fish, of course."

It was pretty much the expectation, now, wasn't it?

They had promised cookies in their class description—the fish was merely them adapting to their students' needs!

"Maple bars today," Carter said cheerfully. "Help yourselves!"
misshapen_spark: (I <3 fighting Grimm!)

Re: Sign In!

[personal profile] misshapen_spark 2018-11-19 11:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Yang Xiao Long
unusual_sith: (up close)

Re: Sign In!

[personal profile] unusual_sith 2018-11-20 03:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Lana Beniko
in_sidon_we_trust: (sideview)

Re: Lecture!

[personal profile] in_sidon_we_trust 2018-11-19 05:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, as if Sidon hadn't been thinking about this enough already today! Not that Sidon felt there were too many troubling things about the last weekend, really. Just the one, not even realizing how many more questions there might have been if he had been able to communicate better.

Mostly, he just felt bad that Paris had to deal with Steelquake Hazelburp Gentletoes the Third all weekend, while he was running around, jumping into ponds, eating pizza, and attempting to bowl. But the droid baby was back with his assigned parent, though Sidon wore the sling on his back today, entertaining her through the class with swishes of his headtail. Not only because she seemed to enjoy trying to catch (and bite) it, but also because he never knew when a sneeze would hit him, and it didn't seem the best thing to wind up sneezing right on her head if he wore the sling facing front.

At least he'd managed to hold off any sneezes until after the lecture was finished, but once it was....well...the look on his face showed he'd been holding it in as best he could, but it was also pretty clear that the size of the sneeze was definitely proportional to the size of the Zora.

As much as he wasn't looking forward to potential admonishments about jumping into cold ponds when it was snowing, he couldn't deny that he certainly deserved them...
Edited 2018-11-19 17:21 (UTC)
justice_undone: (bw thoughtful)

Re: Consider!

[personal profile] justice_undone 2018-11-19 05:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Breq looked at her note. Personal needs? Feeling blue? She hadn't considered the question much before, and didn't feel now was the time, but eventually she wrote: "Not being taken for granted."

Then she folded the note neatly.
in_sidon_we_trust: (hm?)

Re: Consider!

[personal profile] in_sidon_we_trust 2018-11-19 10:19 pm (UTC)(link)
After a sniffle or two (how someone without really any nose to speak of managed to sniffle was anyone's guess, really), Sidon settled in to really consider the assignment and what his answer might be. He was definitely not against the idea of sharing and talking about it, but he did sort of like the idea of them being private thoughts to yourself, which was why he decided to write his response in Hylian, though he'd be more than happy to translate for the teachers or anyone else who might be curious.

It simply read: Words of encouragement. Smiles. Just to have someone to listen, but not always. Sometimes it's just good enough to know that someone is simply there

It made him smile a little as he read it over after he'd written it down.

...and then carefully directed his next sneeze away from the paper.
unusual_sith: (thinking)

Re: Consider!

[personal profile] unusual_sith 2018-11-20 03:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Lana thought about it. Validation, she wrote. Offer of assistance.

That seemed good enough to her.