Managing Different Relationships wellbeing lesson plan
A secondary wellbeing lesson for Years 9 to 11 that helps Australian teachers introduce the skills students need to manage different sorts of relationships, from friendships and family to romantic and online connections. The lesson is ready-to-teach and gives teachers a structured way to explore respect, communication and boundaries across a range of relationship types. Students learn to recognise what healthy relationships need to work well, understand how expectations and boundaries can differ between relationships, and practise communication skills they can use to navigate everyday relationship challenges.
Healthy Relationships & Communication
Snapshot
Managing Different Relationships
This lesson gives teachers a structured way to help students think through the different skills needed across friendships, family relationships, romantic relationships and online connections.
Prep time:
5 to 10 minutes
Lesson length:
45 to 50 minutes
Key Focus
Building practical skills to navigate different types of relationships with respect and clear communication
Lesson Format
Teacher-led discussion and structured activities
What students will learn
By the end of the lesson, students will be supported to:
Recognise
Recognise that relationships with friends, family, partners and online contacts can involve different expectations and boundaries.
Recognise signs that a relationship is respectful, such as listening, honesty and fairness.
Recognise when a relationship pattern may need attention, such as one person consistently not respecting a boundary.
Understand
Understand why communication approaches that work in one relationship may not suit another.
Understand that boundaries can be adjusted and renegotiated as relationships change.
Practise
Practise language for setting or clarifying a boundary in a respectful way.
Practise identifying what support or advice looks like across different relationship types.
Practise applying relationship skills to a new or unfamiliar situation.
Who this lesson is for?
This lesson is designed for secondary students in Years 9 to 11 who are managing an increasing range of relationships, including friendships, family relationships, romantic relationships and online connections. Students at this stage typically have some prior exposure to relationships education and are ready to think more broadly across different relationship contexts rather than one relationship type alone.
It is suitable for:
secondary wellbeing lessons
Health or PDHPE teaching
pastoral care or advisory sessions
respectful relationships programs
general capability and communication skills work
Suitability should be based on more than age alone. Teachers should consider the lesson focus, student maturity, cohort needs, classroom culture, existing discussion norms and available support pathways.
Best used when
Use this lesson when students need clear, practical language for recognising unkind behaviour and knowing what to do next.
Introducing relationship skills broadly Use when students need language and thinking tools that apply across friendships, family and romantic relationships, not just one type.
Building classroom culture around respect Use when reinforcing respectful communication and fair expectations between students.
Supporting a wellbeing or advisory sequence Use as part of a broader unit on relationships, communication or personal development.
Practising boundary setting Use when students are learning how to express a boundary clearly without conflict.
Preparing for transition Use when students are moving into new social contexts, such as a new year group, and relationships are shifting.
Creating a structured wellbeing discussion Use when you want a calm, teacher-led discussion about respect and communication across different relationships.
The lesson can be used proactively with the whole class. It does not need to follow a specific incident.
Why this lesson matters
Students move between many different relationships in a single day, from family and friends to romantic partners and online contacts, and each one can call for a slightly different set of skills. Helping students recognise this early gives them a more flexible and realistic way of thinking about relationships, rather than applying the same expectations everywhere. This lesson supports students to build communication and boundary setting skills they can apply across relationship types, rather than waiting until a specific relationship becomes difficult. Learning to adjust communication, respect different expectations and ask for support when needed helps students build steadier, more respectful relationships over time.
How this lesson supports wellbeing
This lesson supports student wellbeing by building practical social and emotional skills students can use in everyday school life. It helps students develop:
Capability How the lesson supports it
Communication skills Students practise adjusting how they communicate depending on the relationship.
Boundary setting Students learn language for expressing and respecting boundaries.
Respect Students consider what respectful behaviour looks like across different relationships.
Perspective taking Students think about how relationship expectations differ for other people.
Conflict resolution Students explore ways to manage disagreement without damaging a relationship.
Help seeking Students identify when a relationship situation may need outside support.
For teachers and school leaders, the lesson contributes to broader wellbeing, respectful relationships, child safety and pastoral care goals in Australian primary schools.
Teaching notes & Delivery Considerations
This lesson includes content about unkind behaviour, exclusion and asking adults for help. It should be taught with calm, clear discussion norms.
Before teaching
Remind students not to name classmates, family members or partners, or share other people's stories
Frame discussion around general examples and scenarios rather than personal disclosures
Make clear that the purpose is to build skills, not to discuss any individual's current relationships
Identify trusted adults students can speak to at school if a relationship concern comes up
During delivery
Use general examples across friendship, family, romantic and online relationships rather than focusing on one type
Give students time to practise boundary and communication language aloud or in writing
Reinforce that there is more than one safe way to respond to a difficult relationship situation
Allow students to respond through discussion, written reflection or small group work depending on confidence and maturity
Supporting safe discussion
Keep examples general rather than tied to real people or current situations
Reinforce that asking for advice or support is a normal part of managing relationships
Be prepared to follow your school's child safety, wellbeing or child protection procedures if a student discloses harm or says they feel unsafe
Adaptation options
Use small group discussion for confident classes and individual reflection for quieter groups
Spend more time on boundary setting language if students need extra practise
Extend the discussion into online relationships if this is a priority for your cohort
