Teachers who want to help their students who smoke tobacco products can make it by using various communication techniques:

1. Empathetic listening 

Listen to the student with empathy. demonstrating that you comprehend their thoughts and emotions.

Even if you disagree, you must attentively listen to what the student has to say. It is important to acknowledge but not necessarily concur by nodding or saying something like, "I get it," or "I see."

Remember the emotional impact conveyed and the terms' actual meaning as you try to figure out the student's sentiments.

Implement a "mirror" technique, which is imagining a mirror image of yourself. Consider your feelings as though you were the student. Then, restate to them what the student was thinking and experiencing. Do not distract the student; instead, urge them to conclude their point.

As a teacher, you must first cultivate sound listening skills. Here are a few illustrations:

• Allow the student to finish. Do not interrupt them.

• Don't say, "I know how it feels," as much as you can.

• Demonstrate that you are listening to what is being stated.

• Ensure that you comprehend what the student is saying.

• Try not to plan your next words while the student is still talking.

• Don't pass judgment on what the student is saying.

• Be open-minded.

Most people listen only to respond, but unlike them, strive to comprehend the other person before drawing any conclusions. Don't look for a chance to answer with your ideas and opinions. This may not be very consoling because it leads us to react based on our emotions and thoughts rather than appreciating what the student is trying to say. Also, it's crucial to focus on the thoughts and feelings of the student, and empathic listening needs to perceive the issue from the student's standpoint.

2. Respectful dialogue - Use respectful language and avoid judgment.  

Respect implies treating people with courtesy, thoughtfulness, and without bias. While speaking, it's essential that we avoid using discriminatory words, such as prejudices that label or denigrate individuals because of their race, skin color, sexual preference, religious beliefs, or other characteristics.

• Use language that is focused on people and does not categorize or label

• Don't assume anything about people or their personalities.

• Be aware of the effects of your words.

• Acknowledge the individual for who they are.

• Honestly pass no moral judgment on their predicament

• Try to understand them on a human level.

Building relationships and creating a positive atmosphere, whether at work or in the community, depends on effective communication. In order to promote a courteous and welcoming environment, we all have an obligation to take action and are reliant on each other to cooperate. Treat others as you would like to be treated, as the phrase says.

3. Active questioning - Ask open-ended questions to better understand the student’s motivations for smoking.  

Apply open-ended questions to initiate dialogue and inspire discourse if you truly want to connect with students in greater depth and motivate them to talk about themselves.

The semi-structured interview approach was adaptable enough to let students answer issues in their own way, while also being disciplined enough to keep the conversation on track.

Here are some suggestions to aid you in asking open-ended questions more effectively because they are meant to elicit lengthy, in-depth responses:

• Begin your inquiries with "how," "why," "what," etc.

• Always make sure to pose inquiries that seek to understand why things happened, clarify situations, or look into problems.

• Ask questions that cannot be answered with a simple Yes or No. Workaround using probing questions.

• Ask open-ended queries in response to closed-ended ones.

The broad open-ended questions listed below can be used to discuss smoking:

• What do you think about smoking?

• What recent thoughts have you had about quitting smoking?

• Do you know the health effects of smoking on your family?

• What do you think quitting smoking will be like?

• What reservations do you have about giving up?

• What prevents you from making an effort to quit smoking?

• If you quit smoking, how do you think your life would change?

• How have you previously handled stopping smoking?

• What do you consider you would need in order to successfully quit smoking?

• How does it feel for you to discuss something like this?

Let's embrace the opportunities to learn and grow every day.
Visit our website Triton Pilot Program to learn more.

4. Offering resources - Offer resources such as smoking cessation programs or other support services.  

It's difficult to stop smoking. If it were easy, everybody would have already done it. 

Be determined, give yourself recognition for your accomplishments, and keep working diligently until you successfully overcome the desire to smoke.

You may learn more about smoking cessation programs from:

• Your physician or the nearby hospital

• Your health insurance policy

• Your employer

• The local health department

Effective smoking cessation programs incorporate a range of techniques and focus on your worries and difficulties with stopping. They also offer continuing assistance for quitting cigarettes.

Be cautious of programs that:

• Are brief and provide no assistance over time

• Set a high price.

• Provide medications or dietary supplements that are only accessible through the program.

• Guarantee a quick way to stop

5. Providing support - Show the student that you are there to support them and provide guidance.

While interacting with a student smoker, always have the following in mind:

• Recognize that the student wanting to quit is the one in control. Their struggle and lifestyle shifts are theirs, not yours.

• Consider if the student agrees to a routine check to find out how they're doing. Instead of merely asking if they've continued to abstain, discover how they're coping.

• Let them know they are free to speak to you whenever they're in need of some words of inspiration.

• Thank the student for trying to stop smoking and for saving others from the dangers of secondhand smoke.

• Don’t judge, nag, preach, tease, or scold. This may make the person who's quitting feel worse. You don’t want your loved one to turn to a cigarette to soothe hurt feelings.

• Don’t take grumpiness personally when the person who's quitting is having nicotine withdrawal. Tell them you understand the symptoms are real and remind them that they won’t last forever. The symptoms usually get better in a few weeks.

• Don’t offer advice. Just ask how you can help with the plan or program they are using.

• Help the person who's quitting remember all the reasons they wanted to quit and help them forget about the slip as soon as possible.

• Congratulate the person who's quitting for making a quit attempt, and remind them that it can take many attempts before quitting for good.

• Don’t scold, tease, nag, blame, or make the person who's quitting feel guilty. Be sure they know that you care about them, whether or not they smoke.

• If the person who's quitting relapses praise them for trying to quit, and for whatever length of time (days, weeks, or months) of not smoking.

• Remind them that they didn’t fail – they are learning how to quit – and you’re going to be there for them the next time and as many times as it takes.

• Studies show that most people who don’t succeed in quitting are ready to try again in the near future so, encourage them to try again. Don’t say, “If you try again...” Say, “When you try again...” 

• Encourage them to learn from the attempt. Things a person learns from a failed attempt to quit may help them quit for good next time. It takes time and skills to learn how to be a person who doesn't smoke.

• Say, “It’s normal to not succeed the first few times you try to quit. You didn’t smoke for (length of time) this time. Now you know you can do that much. You can get even further next time.” Most people understand this and know that they have to try to quit again.

Continue to offer support and encouragement. If there is someone who refuses to give up on them, they won’t give up quitting smoking.