Many high school students already juggle a part-time job, a team, or both. That is where kindness gets tested: a coworker is teased in the break room, a teammate is blamed after a loss, or a new worker is left out. This exercise helps students stand up in ways that are safe, respectful, and realistic for a workplace or a team.

At a Glance

Activity Type: Role play and discussion
Duration: 30 minutes
Class Size: Whole class, in small groups
Grades: 9-12

Learning Objectives

• Students will name respectful ways to support a coworker or teammate who is being put down.
• Students will practice short, calm lines for the moment and a private check-in afterward.
• Students will explain when to tell a manager, coach, or other trusted adult instead of handling it alone.

Materials Needed

• Three short workplace and team scenarios, read aloud
• Paper for each group
• No real workplace or team names used

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Connect to real life (5 minutes). Say: "Think about a job or a team. Who makes a new person feel welcome? What does that person actually do?" Take a few short answers.
2. Read the scenarios (5 minutes). Use made-up examples: a new employee is given the hardest tasks and laughed at for asking questions; a teammate is blamed loudly after a game; a coworker is left out of a group lunch again and again. Ask: "What would make this better, without making a scene?"
3. Role play in groups (12 minutes). Each group practices one response: a calm redirect, such as "Let’s give her a chance to learn it. We all started somewhere"; a private check-in, such as "That was rough. Are you okay?"; and a plan to tell a manager or coach, such as "I saw this happen, and I am concerned about how it is affecting our team."
4. Debrief and close (8 minutes). Ask: "Which line felt easiest to say? Which felt hardest, and why?" Say: "Standing up does not mean starting a fight. It means refusing to join in, checking in privately, and getting help when the pattern keeps going."

Discussion Questions

• Why do people stay quiet at work or on a team even when they disagree?
• What is the difference between friendly teasing and put-downs that wear someone down?
• When is it smarter to talk to a manager or coach than to step in yourself?
• How can a team make a new member feel welcome in the first week?

Assessment

Look for students offering a calm redirect or check-in line, explaining a safe next step, and naming when to involve a manager, coach, or trusted adult.

Return to the High School 9-12 hub for more classroom exercises.