schools should teach life skills essay

The Importance of Life Skills-Based Education & Why Schools Should Teach Life Skills

In an ever-growing technology and data driven world, much of the focus in education has understandably taken a shift toward STEM-based (science, technology, engineering, and math) initiatives that will prepare students for the coursework and careers of the future . But life skills—how well equipped students are to make good decisions and solve problems in their academic and professional careers as well as their personal lives—should also play a critical role in a well-rounded and comprehensive education.

What Is Life Skills-Based Education?

Think of life skills as the building blocks or framework that allow students to apply the knowledge they acquire in school to real world problems and situations. Also referred to as “ soft skills ” in a professional context, the ability to think abstractly and approach problems from multiple angles to find practical solutions, and the skill to communicate clearly and effectively are just as important as technical knowledge in a particular field or academic subject.

According to Macmillan Education , “In a constantly changing environment, having life skills is an essential part of being able to meet the challenges of everyday life. The dramatic changes in global economies over the past five years have been matched with the transformation in technology and these are all impacting on education, the workplace, and our home life.”

But life skills go well beyond choosing a major in college or impressing a potential employer in the future. Life skills provide children with important tools for development, such as independent thinking, how to socialize and make new friends, and how to take action in situations where their parents or teachers may not be around to help or intervene ( dealing with a bully or personal insecurities and fears, for example.) Unlike motor skills and basic intelligence, executive function and decision-making skills are not innate but learned .

Examples of life skills include :

• Self reflection
• Critical thinking
• Problem solving
• Interpersonal skills

The Benefits of Teaching Life Skills at a Young Age

Building life skills is essentially an exercise in helping children develop sound judgment and good habits for long-term stability, wellness, and success.

How to Promote Life Skills for Young Students

Parents can take an active role in teaching life-skills at home with projects that provide real world examples and lessons in decision making and problem solving. They can be as simple as assigning household chores and budgeting exercises through an allowance, to caring for a pet or volunteering in the community.

Fun and simple-to-organize activities, like game nights (or afternoons) with family and friends with an educational focus that also encourage working in teams, can help to build social and interpersonal skills.

Everyday Survival Skills

In addition to brushing their own teeth and learning how to tie their shoes and get dressed, young children should know what to do in common situations as well as emergencies , such as:

• How to get to and from home and school
• Who to call in an emergency (memorize phone numbers)
• How to safely cross the street
• What to do if they are bullied or witness bullying
• How to safely use kitchen appliances and prepare basic meals
• How to do the laundry

The Importance of Books and Reading

The benefits of reading to young children and fostering a reading habit early in a child’s life are hard to overstate. From building and strengthening vocabulary and language skills to aiding with creative thinking, reading is one of the easiest and best activities available to teach children a range of new skills. Some of the many benefits of reading include:

• Builds self-regulation (also known as executive function)
• Teaches empathy
• Improves concentration
• Exposes children to diversity and differing perspectives and situations than their own

The acquisition of problem-solving and reasoning abilities is a fluid and ongoing process, and working with children early in their development to lay the framework with examples that they can understand and apply on their own is a good place to start.

If you would like your child’s education to include more life skills, consider enrolling them in a public school at home via online learning . As your child’s Learning Coach you can ensure a well-rounded education that you can supplement with plenty of real world skills!

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Schools Urged to Teach Life Skills for Success Alongside Academics

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If students are going to make a successful transition to college and career, schools need to do more than focus on academics. Experts say helping students develop grit, self-discipline, and critical thinking needs to be prioritized, as well.

A new report by the New America Foundation emphasizes the value of these “skills for success” and encourages K-12 educators to integrate activities to promote them into the classroom.

While prekindergarten programs have paid attention to this holistic approach to teaching, that focus is often lost in elementary, middle, and high school, according to “Skills for Success: Supporting and Assessing Key Habits, Mindsets, and Skills in Pre-K-12" , released last week.

Authors Melissa Tooley and Laura Bornfreund, both on staff at the foundation, a Washington-based nonprofit, write that investing time in developing these life skills pays off in success in postsecondary and career settings.

With college enrollment growing, but completion rates remaining flat, educators are looking for ways to incorporate so-called soft skills into their college- and career-readiness efforts .

The report makes several recommendations for how the government, local educational agencies, educators, and research institutions can encourage schools to devote time to developing these life skills.

Schools should make their practices that influence students’ skills in these areas more visible and progress should be monitored by outside stakeholders. This might mean including school climate in accountability systems, the authors suggest. This should not be at the expense of moving away from accountability for academic achievement, they add.

For these skills to receive attention, educators need to understand their value and learn about strategies for promoting them through training, the report noted. “Research shows that many of these skills, such as self-regulation and cooperation, are, in fact, closely linked to academic achievement,” the report said. “There are some promising approaches available, both from Pre-K and K-12, for supporting the skills, habits, and mindsets that enable students to be successful academically as well as professionally and personally throughout their lives.”

The New America Foundation recommends funding more research to find out the most-effective approaches to teaching these life skills and establishing regulations to create skills for success standards that can help ensure schools make this a priority.

A version of this news article first appeared in the College Bound blog.

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• Principal Leadership
• Volume 18 (2017–2018)
• Principal Leadership January 2018

Rethinking Education: The Life Skills Solution

Principals and assistant principals want to make sure that their students are receiving every opportunity to succeed in life—that they have the skills to realize their potential and make their dreams a reality, and that students are able to effectively resolve conflicts and solve problems. By implementing comprehensive life skills instruction in their schools, some principals are doing just that.

Overcoming Obstacles is an organization that has been fighting to implement life skills education far and wide since 1992. The big three foundational pillars of life skills education are communication, decision making, and goal setting. Others include academic supplements such as developing teamwork, time management, and study skills. Through Overcoming Obstacles, educators are able to teach these skills to students in a way that is effective, flexible, and engaging. Students work together to solve problems, identify how to break down complex goals into a series of smaller ones, strengthen their citizenship through service learning projects, and more. Another bonus that often results is the emergence of a positive school environment that’s nurturing, supportive, and safe.

Overcoming Bullying

Jill Siegal Chalsty, founder of Overcoming Obstacles, was bullied throughout middle and high school. As an adult, she ran into her grade-school bully and was surprised to find her former tormentor teaching life skills to at-risk youth and helping them develop the behavioral and societal skills necessary to succeed. At that moment, it became clear that with a life skills education, bullying would be reduced. Plus, it was likely that dropout rates would diminish, drug and alcohol abuse would decrease, and grades would improve. While life skills aren’t necessarily “academic,” they give students the tools that pave the way to academic success. Thus, Overcoming Obstacles was born.

Overcoming Obstacles has been used in all 50 states and 100 countries worldwide, with curriculum available in English, Spanish, and French, and selected activity sheets available in Russian, Arabic, and simplified Chinese. The life skills curriculum that Overcoming Obstacles provides—free of charge—focuses on creating active learning experiences for young people through role playing, group and partner activities, reflection assignments, journal prompts, discussions, and the use of technology. The curriculum is flexible and allows for educators to modify and implement it as they see fit for their classrooms.

Better All Around

Recipients of a life skills education learn to be better students, better citizens, better friends, and better family members. There are very few, if any, situations that exist where life skills training and instruction would not prove beneficial. Life skills don’t just affect the way students interact with the world, but also the way they see the world. In order to positively change their personal trajectory, they first need a solid understanding of how to actualize positive change. Goal setting and effective communication are essential.

“Schools that have embedded life skills curriculum into the fabric of what they do see an improvement in school culture and climate. It helps students to be goal-focused, build relationships, create a plan, and realize how school fits into that larger plan that they have for themselves,” says Lois Herrera, CEO of Safety and Youth Development for the New York City Department of Education.

While people of all ages can benefit from life skills training and instruction, it’s important to teach these skills as early as possible. Learning life skills helps our children create better futures for themselves and for the world at large: Young people involved in gangs leave them and become responsible individuals, misdirected youths become positive contributing community members, and students graduate from high school better equipped for college and rewarding careers.

Expressing Themselves

One key life skill is for students to be able to articulate and convey how they feel. It is equally important for them to learn how to be effective listeners and to respect diverse opinions and cultures—to treat every conversation as if the person they are speaking with may have something to teach them. A slight shift in perspective can change someone’s entire life for the better.

Students often work against their own best interests and are their own worst enemies. Goal setting helps avoid this trap by encouraging students to ask themselves what it is they would like to achieve. Then, we help them craft a plan to make their goals a reality. One of the ways this is done in the curricula is through an activity called “On Your Way.” In this activity, a student writes their long-term goal in the top box of the activity sheet and identifies the short-term and medium-range goals they would need to accomplish before achieving their ultimate goal. For example, a student might write “make the basketball team” as their long-term goal. In order to achieve this, they could write the following in descending order: 1) try out for the team, 2) eat a good breakfast the day of tryouts, 3) get a good night’s sleep the night before tryouts, 4) ask members of the team for advice, and 5) practice every day. Students who set goals for themselves are more likely to succeed in the long run, as they are less likely to engage in self-destructive or lazy behavior.

Life-Skills Mastery

While life skills education doesn’t solve every problem, it can be instrumental in addressing many of them. Before attempting to change society at large, students must first bring order and stability into their own lives, which cannot be accomplished without a fundamental mastery of life skills. By fostering a new generation of students who are articulate, compassionate, and responsible citizens, we paint a brighter future for the world at large.

“With the education community’s tight focus on college and career readiness, we sometimes lose sight of the larger purpose of school to prepare students for the future life they will one day lead,” says NASSP Executive Director JoAnn Bartoletti. “Overcoming Obstacles leads the industry in purposeful life skills training that leads to greater success, not just as measured by achievement, graduation, and college attendance, but to greater success in whatever path the student chooses. We are honored to have partnered with Overcoming Obstacles to promote those skills more assertively in schools.”

Looking to elevate your leadership? Join NASSP.

Vinny Capone is managing director of Overcoming Obstacles Life Skills Education in New York City.

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Why should schools teach life skills? 12 reasons why your school should teach them 👩‍🏫

• by thegrownupschool

Why should schools teach life skills? 12 reasons why your school should teach them –

What we're covering..

Introduction 👋

Learning life skills can be one of the most difficult and stressful parts of becoming a grown-up.

As an adult, there are so many different skills to learn like:

• Paying taxes 🏛️
• Managing your money
• Renting a home 🏡
• Buying a home
• Looking after a home 🧽
• Building healthy relationships
• Looking after your wellbeing
• Parenting 👶
• Getting a job
• Communicating 🔊
• Coping with emotions 💞
• Solving problems
• Making decisions 🤔
• Managing stress

It’s common for people to wonder , “why didn’t school teach me all of these life skills”?

Whilst there might be a lot of reasons of why schools don’t teach life skills , we’ve put together a list of the main reasons why schools should consider teaching life skills.

1. It’s what students want to learn📜

Students today are increasingly vocal about wanting to learn practical life skills . 🔊

By offering life skills education, schools can cater to the demands and preferences of their student body. 🙌

There has been plenty of research to demonstrate the appetite for life skills in schools, such as:

• 87% of British people don’t feel like they were adequately prepared for life as an adult — saying they weren’t taught the life skills they needed before leaving full-time education. ( Metro News )
• Half of young people do not feel prepared for the world of work. ( CBI 2018)
• In Wales in 2019, the Welsh Youth Parliament created a comprehensive report to the government, campaigning to have life skills education prioritized for young people .

2. Re-engaging disengaged students with education 🤝

It is common for students to disengage from school due to uncertainty of how lessons will help them in real life. 🤷‍♀️

For example, a student might complain that they’re unlikely to use “Pythagoras’ Theorem”, bunsen burners, or the biology of a leaf in real life. 🍃

Whilst a lot of people may not directly encounter these challenges , they teach transferable skills like problem solving, numeracy, and literacy. 🔀

Unfortunately, this way of teaching people new skills is quite abstract . 🥴

It is a lot easier for a student to appreciate the value of learning how solve real-world problems , like paying taxes! 💰

This makes life skills lessons an important tool for re-engaging students who have disengaged from education. Life skills education can make learning more relevant and engaging for students , providing a bridge between the classroom and the real world .

For example, a lot of students don’t know how much money they can earn , from the qualifications they’re working towards! 🤷‍♀️

Even just one careers lesson explaining salary expectations from different qualifications , can help students to understand the financial benefits of gaining qualifications and re-engage them.

3. Improved student attainment🏆

One of the best reasons to teach life skills in schools is the potential to improve student attainment.

Life skills, such as time management and critical thinking, can lead to better academic performance, setting the stage for success in various subjects.

The Barclays LifeSkills Programme in the UK found that:

• 86% of learners felt more positive about the future 🙌
• 89% of learners were more motivated to succeed, including doing well in their academic and vocational studies 🥇
• 82% of learners had more understanding of the skills needed for the workplace 💼

4. Social mobility🚀

Life skills have the potential to level the playing field , and give students from disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to improve their circumstances .

Teaching students about topics like budgeting, taxes, and debt, can have a huge impact on the financial future of students . 💰

By teaching skills such as financial literacy and job preparation, schools can empower students from all backgrounds to pursue their dreams . ✨

5. Parents don’t feel prepared 🤷‍♀️

Whilst a lot of people might argue that it is the job of parents to teach life skills , lots of parents don’t feel prepared to teach them.

According to The Independent, nearly half of parents don’t feel equipped to teach their children important life skills.

Schools can bridge this gap by providing comprehensive life skills education , alleviating the concerns of parents who want the best for their children.

6. Standing out as an institution 🌟

Schools that stand out by offering life skills lessons can enhance their reputation and become more appealing to students and their families.

This can lead to increased enrollment and support for the school . 🙋‍♀️

7. Improved student behaviour 😇

Students can often be disruptive in lessons due to a lack of appreciation of the value that teachers can add to their lives. 👎

In addition, students are often unaware of the challenges of adulthood , and how school can support them towards becoming independent adults . 🪜

Life skills lessons can help students to understand the value that teachers can have towards helping them achieve their goals, and encourage them to take school more seriously, reducing behavioural issues within lessons. 👍

8. Closing the skills gap for employment 💼

Students don’t feel prepared for the world of work, but also employers don’t think they’re prepared either . 🤷‍♀️

In the rapidly changing landscape of the professional world, employers are increasingly voicing their concerns about the mismatch between the skills graduates possess and the skills essential for success in the workplace. ⚖️

The traditional academic curriculum, while valuable in many respects, often falls short in equipping individuals with the practical, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills demanded by today’s employers.

CBI research has found that:

• 60% of employers say that new graduates coming through the system are “unprepared for a commercial career” .
• 40% of employers state the biggest reason they cannot fill entry-level vacancies “isn’t a lack of people, it’s a lack of adequate skills” .

By incorporating life skills lessons, e ducators can align their offerings more closely with the expectations of employers .

Graduates who have been exposed to real-world scenarios and problem-solving exercises are better prepared to navigate the challenges of the professional world . 🗺️

9. Improved careers education and business engagement 🤝

A significant part of life skills lessons focuses on employability skills and careers lessons. 💼

Incorporating life skills lessons into your curriculum can not only improve your careers education provision , but also create opportunities for businesses to work with your students , and give them real-life tasters of the working world. 🌍

Life skills topics strongly align with the Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance , which outlines a framework for world-class careers education.

The eight Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance are:

1. A stable careers programme 2. Learning from career and labour market information 3. Addressing the needs of each pupil 4. Linking curriculum learning to careers 5. Encounters with employers and employees 6. Experiences of workplaces 7. Encounters with further and higher education 8. Personal guidance

By creating a focus on real-life skills and how they can be used in the working world, you can offer lessons that invite employers to share their knowledge of the working world with students, and bring careers education to life . ✨

The integration of life skills into not only enhances the quality of careers education learning for students, but also creates a collaborative platform for employers and educational institutions to work together. 🤝

10. There’s increased flexibility in the curriculum 🏄‍♀️

In a lot of education systems teachers are being given more flexibility around what they teach.

School curriculums are becoming more and more flexible, enabling educators to tailor their lessons to their students’ needs, and their local landscape. 🗺️

This means that some teachers can start to write their own curriculum of learning for their students. 📝

Giving teachers more flexibility can help them to make sure that learning is :

• relevant and useful for students 👍
• tailored to the geographical area the students are living in 🧵
• making use of opportunities for students in their local area 🗺️
• more personalized for students and their ambitions 🪞

A lot of teachers believe that life skills should be taught in schools, and can use this flexibility to create more opportunities for students to learn life skills in their learning plans .

In countries such as Wales, United Kingdom, individual schools are even being empowered to write their own curriculums, making each schools’ provision unique and tailored to their area. ✍️

This offers a lot of opportunity for schools to incorporate life skills into their curriculums, to meet the needs of their students.

Incorporating life skills into the curriculum has never been easier for schools to implement, making now a great time to start providing life skills lessons.

11. Increased availability of free resources 📚

More than ever, there are free resources available to help teach life skills.

The Grown-Up School provides 100+ completely free grown-up lessons and free worksheets to help learn life skills!

There is also support and resources available from places like:

• The internet – you can learn so much from researching online!
• Youtube videos
• Local businesses
• Motivational speakers
• Banks – financial education programmes

12. Improved post-school attainment 🏆

Schools that provide life skills education support their students to succeed not only academically but also in their personal and professional lives . 👨‍💼

This success can contribute to the school’s reputation and legacy , and encourage positive relationships with past students. 🤝

More research 🕵️‍♀️

In addition to there being more resources available to learn life skills , there is also more research demonstrating the desire and need to learn them .

This includes studies such as:

• Age-Specific Life Skills Education in School: A Systematic Review
• Significance Of Life Skills Education
• The Status of Life Skill Education in Secondary Schools -An Evaluative Study

Conclusion 👍

So that’s it!

There are lots of different reasons why life skills should be taught in schools, such as:

• It’s what students want to learn📜
• Re-engaging disengaged students with education 🤝
• Improved student attainment🏆
• Social mobility🚀
• Parents don’t feel prepared 🤷‍♀️
• Standing out as an institution 🌟
• Improved student behaviour 😇
• Closing the skills gap for employment 💼
• Improved careers education and business engagement 🤝
• There’s increased flexibility in the curriculum 🏄‍♀️
• Increased availability of free resources 📚
• Improved post-school attainment 🏆

Hopefully this article has helped you to understand better why schools should teach life skills .

If you know any  friends or family members  who might benefit from learning about why schools should teach life skills , share this post with them!

Finally, don’t forget to check out our similar articles below!

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Teaching life skills and wellbeing in school.

How to teach wellbeing, life skills and positive education in school?

This innovation describes five different lessons for teaching life skills. The lesson plans include instructions for exercises as well as tools for teachers to further their knowledge on life skills and the lesson topics.

HundrED has selected this innovation to

Finland 100

About the innovation

Life skills are the skill set that enable people to live happy and meaningful lives and reach their potential. People who have sufficient life skills flourish. In this context, a meaningful life is achieved through mental wellbeing, self-awareness, skills for appreciating humanity in others as well as working towards wellbeing in one's community.

Instilling life skills and wellbeing skills in school supports mental wellbeing in children and youth now and in the future. Our goal is also to decrease human suffering.

Life skill education is based on research and methodology for positive pedagogy and positive education developed alongside positive psychology. It is important to teach research based life skills such as happiness skills, strength skills, resolution skills, emotional skills, skills for being present, interaction skills, relationship skills, self-management skills as well as empathy skills at school. This way children grow up to be whole, mentally strong and resilient young adults.

The innovation describes five different life skill lessons. These steps detail the structure of the lessons, guide you through different exercises and provide further reading and materials on the topic.

Life skills can be implemented as a module or as individual exercises. The teachers and other school staff should familiarize themselves in and even receive training on teaching life skills. When life skills are taught consistently the results will become visible at the school-level and not only in individual student wellbeing.

Impact & scalability

Teaching children and young people wellbeing and life skills at school prepares them for life. Life skills are first and foremost preventative mental health skills that allow more young people to lead good, happy and meaningful lives.

Teaching life skills supports students' personal growth, by providing knowledge, skills and social capital.

Life skills can and should be actively taught to children all throughout their time in school. This includes noticing the positive and fostering kindness. Wellbeing education also supports instruction in other subjects. This is why it should be included in all education – in the methodology and as an all-encompassing lens of positive reinforcement.

Implementation steps

The goal of the lesson: Notice the good and learn gratitude

The lesson in a nutshell:

• Introduction. Conversations about happiness, noticing the good and their benefits. An icebreaker.
• Discussing gratitude and its benefits. A gratitude game (suited also for older students.)
• Homework: Note three positive things every day.

More on the topic: videoon positive education

Happiness is important to everyone. Ask students what they think of when you say the word “happiness.” You can also share your thoughts on happiness and what makes you happy. You can also write a student's definition or musing on happiness on the blackboard. For example: “Happiness comes from doing what's important to us with the people who are important to us.”

An icebreaker on happiness:

Ask students to write five things that make them happy on sticky notes.

Ask students to write as many things as they can that make them happy on the blackboard.

Ask students to think of their definition of happiness or what creates happiness: “Happiness is…”

You can also think of things that are free and make you happy and write them on the blackboard.

What does happiness feel like? → Ask for different descriptions of the feeling.

Happiness is a skill you can practice. One of the most effective ways is to practice gratitude. Gratitude is like a motor in happiness that starts running when you think of things for which you are grateful. Thinking of small things you're grateful for daily your happiness motor stays running and helps us through tough times and to move on.

Gratitude is like a floating device keeping us afloat even during bad days. Gratitude also feels great and makes your life happy and better. Gratitude helps us to value all the small things that are good in our lives, and notice how much there actually are.

Ask students what are all the thing for which we can be grateful? They can think of things alone on paper or in pairs or small groups and gather the results to a large piece of construction paper. This helps the students to see how much we all have to be grateful for.

Game: “I'm grateful for bread”

“I'm grateful for bread” is a fun game for learners of all ages. It centers around gratitude and happiness. You can play it sitting in a circle on the floor or outside, for example.

The game starts with the first student giving a word to the next one, such as “bread.” The second person must think of why they're thankful for bread. For example: “I'm grateful for bread because I get quick energy from it for my soccer practice.”

Then the second student gives a word for the next one, such as “bus.” This student then gives a genuine reason why they're grateful for buses. For example: “I'm grateful for buses because they don't pollute as much as cars.”

The nouns can also be funny or difficult which makes the game joyous and funny. You can keep playing the game as long as you want and make it harder by having a specific theme, such as school, the woods, home, etc.

As homework, ask the students to think of three things they are grateful for during the next few days. These three things can be small or big and they can occur whenever during the day. The students can think of things from the day for which they are grateful at night, for example.

Ask the students to write down three things they are grateful for daily in their notebooks or phones. You can go through everyone's answers during the next lesson. You can also ask for their observations from the week and how they felt noticing positive things and what it felt like to be grateful.

• Collect both small and large things you are grateful for in a class gratitude jar.
• You can start the collection by everyone writing 1–3 things they are grateful for on that day on a note. The notes are anonymous and you can collect more notes daily or weekly.
• At the end of the month, you can see together for what things you have been grateful. You can make a collage on the classroom wall with the notes.
• Everyone can write notes spontaneously about the moments that have been especially good or if someone notices something to be grateful for during school.

The goal of the lesson: Learning about strengths, recognizing and utilizing your strengths.

• Learning about different strengths and that we all have natural strengths and things we excel in. The importance of recognizing and utilizing strengths.
• Icebreakers on how to recognize and utilize your strengths.
• Homework: Consciously use three of your strengths during a week and journal these moments.

More on the topic:

• On strength pedagogy and how to teach it
• VIA character strength test .With older students, you can complete the VIA character strength test together either before or after the lesson. The VIA strength test is recommended for the ages 10 and up
• A list of character strengths

We all have plenty of different strengths. Strengths are all the good in us. They are like a beautiful garden with different trees, plants and flowers – when you water the plants they grow and flourish.

It is the same with people – when we use our strengths we get stronger and flourish. (You can draw a picture of this strength garden on the blackboard. You can write strengths on the flowers and plants, such as gratitude, love, kindness, forgiveness, courage, etc.)

You can show this video about character strengths and ask them to pick 1–2 strengths from the video they feel are important.

Teaching character strengths is easy if you get character strength cards or make them yourself. They facilitate different discussions on strengths.

Cards in English

Ask the students to look at the strength cards or strengths on the blackboard and pick a strength they have used that week. Ask every student to share the strength with the class or their partner or small group and how they used it.

Tell the students that the strengths always have a golden mean between two extremes: too little or too much. Give them an example, such as courage and ask what is too much courage? Or too little?

Then give students the strength cards and ask them to think of the extremes of every strength, that is, what would be an example of too little or too much of that strength. You have three options for the exercise: every student describes a strength individually; a pair describes one together or a small group works on multiple strengths.

You can teach the students how to utilize their strengths with questions that stimulate them. They should allow students to think about, say, how strengths can help through a difficult situation or a school project. Good questions for situations where students need help:

• What strength would help you to move forward?
• What strength would help you right now?
• If you could pick any strength to help you right in this moment, what would it be?
• What strengths would a person that is really good at this use?
• What strengths have you used in situations where you've succeeded?

Ask everyone to pick a strength that they think they possess. You don't have to use the cards. The teacher can also assist, if necessary. Everyone should have a card or a piece of paper with the strength written down before the game begins.

Get in a circle and ask everyone to borrow a strength to reach a goal or whatever they choose. The game proceeds with everyone borrowing a strength and explaining what they would do with it.

For example:

Lisa borrows patience from John to use at home with her little sister. Or Anna borrows tenacity from Mary to finish her math homework. Or Mike borrows a sense of humor from Dean to tell more jokes to his friends during recess.

The game ends when everyone's strength gets borrowed and used. The teacher can assist by suggesting situations that could benefit from using different strengths.

Tell the students that they have a week to practice recognizing and utilizing different strengths. Everyone should pick three core strengths with the VIA character strength test (for students over the age of 10) or help from the teacher or their friend. When everyone has three core strengths to recognize and utilize, the students write them down to their notebook or phone.

Ask students to write down moments when they use their strengths during the week. They should use at least one strength per day and write down the moment and situation where they used it and how.

During breakfast I was grateful that I got to eat chocolate cereal. Or, I was tenacious in my hobby and didn't give up even when I didn't learn on the first try.

At the end of the week go through moments where students recognize and use their strengths. Ask if they used any new strengths that they could use in next week's exercise.

Permanent strength exercise for the whole class – tree of strengths on the classroom wall (Tree of strengths):

• Use a technique of your choice (e.g. tape or paper) to make a tree on the classroom wall. Every branch or leaf should be a strength.
• Tell the students that they get to put a sticker or mark on a strength every time they notice someone using it in the classroom.
• The students can let the teacher know every time they notice a classmate using a strength, such as kindness, a sense of humor or tenaciousness.
• Agree on how you note strengths, how you express them and how to mark them in the tree.
• You can also consciously practice the strengths that have few markings or make a theme day using different strengths.

The goal of the lesson: Learning about being present and relaxation.

The lesson in a nutshell

• Discussing the benefits of calming down and mindfulness. Talking about the benefits to student wellbeing that come from calming and quieting down.
• Icebreakers for discussing the benefits of being calm and present together. Mindfulness exercises linked to awareness and being present.
• Homework: Being aware of your breathing by counting to ten with your fingers.

More on the topic

NOTE! Teaching mindfulness to children requires a teacher who has experience with mindfulness. This innovation provides you with plenty of exercises to fit your teaching style. These exercises for being present can be instructed using the recording or video – whatever feels easiest and natural to you. More on mindfulness for children .

Videos for your teaching:

• Mindfulness explained, for children
• A story about mindfulness and focusing on the positive

Mindfulness exercises for young children (6–10-year-olds):

• Mindfulness Meditation for Kids
• 😊 🌺 Breath Meditation for Kids 😊 ❤️‍ Mindfulness for Kids
• Peace Out Guided Relaxation for Kids | 1. Balloon

Mindfulness videos for older students (10–18-year-olds):

• The Scientific Power of Meditation
• How to Meditate
• Benefits Of Meditation - TOP 6 BENEFITS

1. Introduction – When we're present and relaxed, we feel good

Explain the benefits of being present. When we're consciously present and calm, we feel good. When we're present, we notice more around us and can feel more positive emotions.

When we're relaxed and present, we hear, learn and see better. We also find it easier to be kind to others when we're relaxed and calm. You can and should practice calm and conscious presence.

Bodily sensations and feelings while relaxing

• Ask the students when they feel calm and relaxed? How do they feel in those moments? What kind of situations are they and where do they occur?
• Discuss the students' best methods to calm themselves and relax. Collect students' tips about the best methods to calm themselves on the blackboard. Discuss these experiences.

NOTE! Test the exercises yourself before you instruct one for the students.

Focusing on your breathing by counting

One of the easiest ways to practice conscious presence is to turn your attention to your body and breathing. One exercise is to consciously breathe and count the inhales and exhales by raising a finger after inhaling and exhaling until five or ten fingers are raised.

This exercise provides the students with a concrete method of calming themselves. Extending your exhale is especially effective for relaxation and calming down.

Focusing on your breathing with a video

Instructed breathing exercise

Sound – being present in the moment through hearing

You can practice being in the moment and consciously present with your senses by focusing on audio, for example. You can do this exercise with an instrument, such as a bell, triangle or guitar.

Play one or more chords and ask the students to listen as long as the sound is audible. When there is no more sound, they can raise their hand. You can do this short and easy exercise either with the students' eyes closed or open. You can use it to bring the students back to the calming present.

Chocolate – being present in the moment through all of your senses

Give the students chocolates (or raisins.) The goal is to eat them as slowly as possible using all of your senses and calming down in the process. First, they take the chocolate in their hand, look at it, feel it, smell it, touch it and listen to it before they put it in their mouth.

The students place the chocolate in their mouth slowly, let it melt, move, taste, etc. in their mouths. Slowly, they swallow the chocolate and taste the lingering aftertaste. At the end, you should discuss what you all felt and sensed, respecting everyone's experiences.

After the exercise

After you complete the exercise of your choice, ask the students how they felt during and after it. Gather everyone's experiences and discuss what students noticed during the exercise – was it easy or hard; what feeling did they have; what do their bodies feel like now?

Homework is to breathe in and out ten times counting it with your fingers. They should do this once a day and you should practice it together beforehand using the exercise provided above.

Ask the students to choose a time to complete the daily exercise. They should write in their notebooks the answer to the question: “How do I feel after the breathing exercise?”

After a week, discuss the students' experiences. If you want, you can do the exercise together at the school before or after a lesson.

• Discussing emotions: What do emotions indicate and what should we know about them? Exploring the purposes and benefits of negative and positive emotions.
• Exercise on recognizing emotions. Learning to name emotions.
• Homework: Spot your feelings.
• Benefits of emotions and the meaning of reinforcing positive emotions
• The scientific benefits of positive emotions
• More on positive emotions

Explain the benefits of emotions shortly. For example, that negative emotions help us stay safe and notice problems so that we can resolve them. On the other hand, positive emotions increase happiness and wellbeing as well as strengthen relationships.

When we experience positive emotions with others, such as joy and love, we feel good. That's why you should harbor and strengthen positive emotions. Positive emotions are also more fragile than negative emotions. The latter are stronger so that we notice them. To feel good, we should strengthen positive emotions more.

Emotional intelligence means recognizing and naming emotions and understanding where they come from and what you can do with them. Recognizing and naming emotions is a fundamental emotional skill.

You can help students to practice this skill by encouraging them to recognize, name and accept emotions. This simple task helps them get through difficult emotions or lessen a strong emotional state and deal with the issue. First, you should practice recognizing and naming different emotions.

Students talk in a circle:

How do you feel right now – in one word. The feeling can be negative, neutral or positive. Recognizing emotions is positive: naming an emotion out loud eases negative emotions and strengthen positive emotions. It is always beneficial!

Gather in a circle and ask students to reminisce a wonderful experience in their life that they can share with the group. Give examples from your own life and share a wonderful event and what you felt then.

Then, ask everyone to think of an experience and one-by-one to share them with the group. After every story, ask what positive emotions they experienced during their moment of happiness.

When everyone has shared their moment or story and their accompanying emotions, think of all the positive emotions you all felt hearing the stories and write them on the blackboard.

The animation Inside Out is a wonderful movie about living with emotions for children aged seven and up. Watching the movie together is an excellent way to explore emotions and teach emotional intelligence.

You can even ask the students to write an essay or do homework on the themes of the film. They should think of the meaning of emotions and the feelings they had watching the movie.

Ask students to keep an emotion journal for a week and write down different emotions every day. Ask them to pay special attention to positive emotions and different emotions.

Journaling their emotions allows students to become emotional detectives. Their assignment is to notice and catch ever-changing emotions.

• Discussing the significance of relationships and good relationships. Exploring good communication skills.
• Learning and practicing the building blocks of good communication.
• Homework: Practicing communication skills in your relationships
• On the relationship between good relationships and happiness
• Teaching good relationships

Explain the meaning of good relationships in people's lives. There are many studies on happiness and good life and one of the most important aspects impacting happiness and life satisfaction is good relationships.

Friendships and other good and close relationships make life happy. This is why relationships are a meaningful part of human wellbeing and should be nurtured.

You can and should practice relationship skills. One effective way is to practice communication skills, that is, good communication. They are one of the most important relationship skills.

Exercise on good relationship skills

• Ask the students to think of a person they love who is important to them and then write down five things about the person and their personality.
• Ask students to share the attributes they wrote down. Collect these on the blackboard and at the end title them as “Good relationship skills.”
• Ask the students what they think is the most important relationship skill. You can also vote on the words on the blackboard.
• Ask every student to mark three of the most important skills.
• At the end, see what skills got the most votes. You can make a list of these skills to hang on the classroom wall so you all remember to use these skills together.

Practicing good communication: Sharing a success story with a partner

Explain to the students that good communication is one of the most effective ways to nurture good relationships, get to know new people, make new friends and nurture friendships.

The building blocks of good communication are easy to remember by these three aspects of appreciative and actively positive communication:

• Appreciative Listening
• Appreciative Inquiry (asking questions)
• Appreciative Encouraging

You can also think of their opposites and discuss negative communication to help students understand what good communication skills are.

• What is disrespectful listening like?
• What is negative inquiry like?
• What is discouraging feedback like when someone shares something wonderful?

Go through the steps for appreciative communication one more time using examples and move on to the pair exercise.

Divide the students into pairs or groups of three. The teams should share a success story with each other one-by-one. For example how they learnt a difficult thing or overcame a challenge.

The goal is to:

• Listen to the other person's story with appreciation (they can think what that means.)
• Ask a question about the story (with appreciation.)
• Provide positive feedback telling what they appreciated.

At the end, the teacher can ask how the students experienced the exercise. How did it feel to listen with appreciation and be heard? How was it when the other person asked questions about the story? How did the team encourage and compliment each other's stories?

The homework is to practice appreciative listening, inquiry and encouraging with their family.

Ask students to observe how communication skills work and write them down in their notebooks or phones. Will their mom be happy when you ask how their day was? What will their dad say when you compliment the food? How will their friends react to them listening and asking questions about them?

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• Teacher resources

Why should we teach life skills?

by Steve Taylore-Knowles in Teacher resources

Open Mind author Steve Taylore-Knowles explains why teaching life skills is necessary to address the skills gap in and outside of the classroom and why English language teachers have a particular responsibility. 

Return to 'What are life skills'

Steve Taylore-Knowles explains why teaching life skills matters in ELT

Education should prepare our students for the future, whether that involves going on to further study, joining the world of work or becoming an engaged member of society. Education is a process that enables students to take their place in society as effective learners, as effective professionals and as effective citizens. And English language education enables our students to do it in English.

There is often a mismatch between what students acquire in  the classroom and the demands placed on them outside the classroom. Take the  world of work. In a recent survey in the UK, carried out by the research  company YouGov, fewer than one in five employers thought that all or most  graduates were ‘work-ready’. The overwhelming majority of companies said that  graduates lacked key employability skills, such as teamwork skills,  communication skills and the ability to cope under pressure. In another recent  survey, two-thirds of company bosses said that graduates don’t know how to  handle customers professionally, while half of them said that graduates were  incapable of working independently. If one of the purposes of education is to prepare  people for the world of work, it seems we’re not achieving that purpose  particularly well.

Far too often, we’ve sold our students short. We’ve given  them a decent grasp of English grammar. We’ve given them a reasonably broad  vocabulary. And we’ve trained them to jump through the various hoops that  examining boards put before them. And then we’ve cast them adrift in the wider  world without once considering the kind of flexible, transferable skills they  need to really take advantage of the language they’ve acquired.

Teach young adults?  Find out more about how to bring life skills into your classroom with Open Mind. Written by Steve-Taylore Knowles, Open Mind is a four-level course designed to provide learners with the professional, academic and personal skills they need to meet the demands of studying and working in the 21st century.

More about Open Mind

Steve Taylore-Knowles

Steve has spent almost two decades in ELT as a writer, a trainer, an examiner and a teacher.

He has written a number of successful courses for teenagers and young adults, including the British English  Open Mind  and American English  openMind 2nd edition  which include life skills as  an integral part of the course.

More about Steve Taylore-Knowles

Check related articles

Should School Teach More Life Skills & Less Academic Subjects

• June 24, 2023

Should schools teach more life skills to their students? Some people believe schools should focus more on teaching life skills and less on academic subjects. Because they claim that life skills are more relevant and valuable for students in the 21st century, and that academic subjects need to be narrower and updated.

But is this true? What are life skills, and why are they important? What is the essential life skill for students to learn? And should schools teach more life skills as well as reducing the amount of academic subjects?

In this EDU Blog , we will answer the question: “Should School Teach More Life Skills & Less Academic Subjects?”

Why are life skills important in the 21st century?

Life skills help us deal with daily challenges and opportunities. They are abilities like communication, critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, teamwork, self-management , and resilience. For example:

Communication skills can help us express our ideas clearly, listen to others, and resolve conflicts.

Critical thinking skills can help us analyze information, question assumptions, and make informed decisions.

Creativity skills can help us generate new ideas, find solutions, and express ourselves.

Problem-solving skills can help us identify problems, explore options, and implement actions.

Teamwork skills can help us cooperate with others, share responsibilities, and achieve common goals.

Self-management skills can help us plan our time, set our goals, and monitor our progress.

Resilience skills can help us cope with stress, overcome challenges, and learn from failures.

Life skills are essential for coping with changing situations, learning from our experiences, and achieving our goals. They also help us develop positive attitudes and values like respect, empathy, responsibility, and honesty.

For instance, respect helps us value diversity, accept differences, and treat others with dignity. Empathy helps us understand other people’s feelings, perspectives, and needs. Responsibility allows us to take charge of our actions, fulfill our obligations, and be accountable for our results. Honesty helps us be truthful, trustworthy, and fair.

Life skills are critical in the 21st century because the world is more complex, uncertain, and interconnected.

Technology is changing every aspect of life, from work to education to entertainment. Globalization creates new opportunities and challenges for people of different cultures and backgrounds. Social and environmental issues require more awareness and action from everyone.

In this context, life skills can help people deal with changes and uncertainties, work with others, and contribute to society.

Should School Teach More Life Skills & Less Academic Subjects?

Academic subjects are disciplines that focus on specific areas of knowledge and skills. They include things like math, science, history, literature, languages, and art etc,. These subjects are important for intellectual and cultural development, as well as for academic and career success.

Supporters of teaching more life skills in school say that they prepare students for the future, where they will face complex and unpredictable scenarios that require adaptability and innovation. They also say that life skills make learning more engaging and meaningful for students, as they can apply what they learn to their own lives and interests.

Opponents of teaching less academic subjects in school believe that they provide students with a solid foundation of knowledge and skills that are necessary for higher education and various professions. They also say that academic subjects stimulate curiosity and creativity in students, as they expose them to different perspectives and ideas.

Both life skills and academic subjects have their merits and drawbacks. Life skills can help students become more confident and independent, but they can also be vague and hard to assess. Academic subjects can help students become more knowledgeable and skilled, but they can also be rigid and irrelevant.

Therefore, the important thing here is not to choose one of the two, but to develop a balance of both. A person who inherits a good education will certainly possess a solid knowledge base and good soft skills.

What is the most important life skill for students?

There is no definitive answer to this question, as different life skills may be more or less critical depending on the situation and the person. However, some experts suggest that one of the most important life skills for students is learning how to learn.

Learning how to learn means acquiring new knowledge and skills effectively and efficiently. It involves knowing how to set goals, plan strategies, monitor progress, evaluate outcomes, and reflect on feedback. It also consists in being curious, motivated, and self-directed.

Learning how to learn is important for students because it enables them to keep up with the rapid changes in the world and the demands of the 21st century. It helps them become lifelong learners who can adapt to new situations and challenges.

It also helps them develop other life skills, such as critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, communication, and teamwork. Learning how to learn is not something that an educator or a textbook can teach; it is something that students have to discover and practice by themselves.

In a nutshell

To sum up, school should teach both life skills and academic subjects. They should not teach more of one and less of the other. They should teach them together in a good way.

Academic subjects help students learn things and skills that are important for understanding the world and following their passions. Life skills help students do things and skills that are important for living in the world and reaching their dreams. Both are important for students in this century.

If you enjoyed this EDU Blog and want to learn more about education, career, and personal development topics, don’t forget to subscribe to EDU Passport . You’ll get access to exclusive content, tips, and resources that will help you grow as a learner and a leader!

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Teaching Students To Thrive: The Significance Of Life Skills Based Curriculum In Schools!

“Prepare the child for the road, not the road for the child.”

Ask any parent, and they will likely agree with the above maxim. It stands to reason that if a child is prepared for the road ahead, they can navigate their way, regardless of the hurdles. On the other hand, if parents and caregivers focus on preparing the road for the child, they will only get so far. Consider how many roads you can prepare, knowing the world will be the child’s oyster. It is a fruitless exercise from the get-go.

The most important aspect of preparing the child for the road is instilling critical life skills. After all, success in life isn’t solely dependent on academic achievements. Instead, it requires thinking critically and creatively, managing emotions, showing empathy towards others, effectively coping with stress, and much more to thrive in a VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) world. 21st-century skills go far beyond rote learning and excelling academically alone. It’s a life-skill-based curriculum in schools that can go a long way in helping children thrive.

When we speak of 21st-century skills, we refer to three broad skill sets, namely:

Learning Skills:  As the name suggests, this skill pertains to acquiring knowledge.

Literacy Skills:  These skills, once again, contribute to gaining knowledge and are acquired through reading, media, or digital resources.

Life Skills:  These are critical everyday skills that help individuals navigate life.

The World Health Organization recognizes 10 important life skills that significantly contribute to ensuring true success and happiness. These are:

• Self-awareness
• Critical thinking
• Creative thinking
• Decision-making
• Problem-solving
• Effective communication
• Interpersonal relationships
• Coping with stress
• Coping with emotions

Incorporating these skills into the  school curriculum  can significantly contribute to a student’s success in later life. When a child is self-aware, they can make informed decisions. Additionally, these skills assist students in building supportive social relationships, improving self-regulation, enhancing problem-solving abilities, dealing with the inevitable stresses of life, and much more. Proficient decision-making and problem-solving skills enable them to make the most of various situations, while self-regulation skills help them manage their emotions effectively.

Table of Contents

Benefits of life skills for students

Benefits for society

The importance of teaching students this essential significance of life skills doesn’t only benefit students but also bodes well for society. First and foremost, it helps build an empathetic society where different viewpoints are valued. It fosters teamwork without unnecessary competitiveness.

Significantly, since it helps people regulate their emotions and provides an effective channel, it creates a more tolerant and less resentful society.

Life Skill-Based Curriculum- how is it executed?

The significance of a curriculum based on life skills is widely acknowledged. It’s crucial to grasp how this curriculum is implemented within schools and identify its essential characteristics.

Interactive & participatory learning

It’s self-evident that imparting life skills must be a participatory process. This is achieved by creating an inquiry-based environment where children’s curiosity is ignited, enabling them to ask the right questions and seek alternative solutions when faced with an issue.

Collaborative process

Ample opportunities are provided to ensure that students collaborate, promoting a cooperative learning environment. This, in turn, benefits individuals as they learn to live and work alongside a wide variety of people, helping society through the principles of cooperation.

Critical thinking and creativity

One key aspect that a life skills-based curriculum emphasizes is helping students develop critical thinking and creativity. Through real-life projects, connecting various ideas, brainstorming, and more, ample opportunities are provided for critical thinking and generating diverse solutions. Children are also encouraged to propose solutions, provide feedback on ideas, contribute to their improvement, and more.

If all of this leaves you wondering how the prescribed academic syllabus is covered, it’s important to understand that the significance of life skills is imparted while using the courseware. A life skills-based curriculum doesn’t imply that academic skills are neglected or the academic syllabus is compromised.

In fact, at Pragyanam, a leading  CBSE school in Gurgaon , we utilize courseware and guiding texts in combination with a wide range of co-scholastic activities such as dance, theatre, and more. Additionally, there are regular showcases that enable students to demonstrate their learning.

Throughout this process, teachers serve as essential support, fostering curiosity at all levels and nurturing lifelong learners.

Here’s to raising a generation of self-aware and socially conscious students!

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Pragyanam, meaning 'wisdom' in sanskrit, embodies our philosophy of nurturing mindful individuals. we prioritize our students' competence over competitiveness, guiding them toward a fulfilled life through our unique 'life skills curriculum.' join us for an education that prepares your child for exams and life., pragyanam school emerald hills, sector 65, gurugram, haryana 122022, t: +91-93110 42850 e: [email protected].

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Stop saying 'it's a dry heat.' It's time we took Arizona summers more seriously

Letter to the editor: heat killed more than 900 people in 2023. yet we downplay it, as if living here long enough makes us resistant to the danger..

Arizona’s 2023 summer was grim, according to AP News, and the toll of heat-related deaths “ topped 900 statewide last year .” We should be grateful that efforts are being made to prevent these deaths.

However, I think one factor is not being focused on enough, namely, how Arizonans undermine the severity of the heat. For one, playfully — too playfully, in fact — they say of the intense weather, with a shrug, “It’s a dry heat.” The problem is, it is still a strong heat, still ominous, still dangerous.

Others say, nonchalantly, that they themselves have nothing to fear. Of the heat, they say, “I am used to it,” as if having been here long enough creates resistance to the heat.

It doesn’t.

Please, my fellow Arizonans, take the heat seriously. Stay cool wherever you can and however you can. Help the vulnerable, like the homeless.

Nobody deserves to suffer.

Ruben Martinez Garcia, Tolleson

Try this, students, before protesting

Students, young adults and people in general should have the right to protest peacefully . They also have the responsibility to understand what they are protesting for and against.

But before protesting they should try negotiating. If that fails, protest, and try staying within whatever rules are laid down. Authority, however, often has unreasonably restricted rules that must be broken for protest to be effective.

Still, protests should not be violent, and until they are, authority should not punish protesters.

John Eakins, Sun City West

TikTok is no different than Facebook

As a member of generation Z, I have grown up making videos and posting online. I have grown up alongside the popularity of social media.

Social media is a common way to unwind after a long day. I’m sure many can relate when I say we catch ourselves in a scrolling hole many times a day.

But that might change as TikTok is under the spotlight once again. Headlines mainstream President Biden’s signing of the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act” to protect our personal information.

I suppose the opinions on this topic differ, but TikTok to me is just entertainment, equivalent to other apps, such as Instagram and Facebook.

Why aren’t these apps getting the same attention as TikTok? I have noticed me or a family member talking about a subject and then getting ads about it on Facebook or Instagram. Almost like they are listening in. Why doesn’t this raise concern?

Is it really just because TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance? I think social media plays a big role in the world today, but it’s almost unfair to be threatening this one app when similar American-owned apps are doing the same thing.

Morgan Epley, Peoria

Homelessness is a crisis, not a crime

The Johnson vs. Grants Pass Supreme Court case could allow municipalities to criminalize homelessness by making it illegal to sleep in public areas. I hope that this sounds as ridiculous to you as it does to me.

How can a law prevent people who have no other place to go from sleeping, which is an action as uncontrollable and necessary as breathing?

I flew out to D.C. from Arizona to attend the case’s press conference in front of the SCOTUS and learned a valuable (if not obvious) thing. The solution to homelessness is simple: housing.

Not fines. Not jails.

Rising rents, stagnant wages, domestic abuse and discrimination have created a system in which it is devastatingly easy to be left homeless.

As a young person, I have an incredible sense of hope for my future, but accompanying this hope is fear. In five years, I see myself graduating college with a job I am passionate about, but what if life gets in the way, as it inevitably does?

Homelessness comes easily in our country, but it’s a crisis, not a crime. So, why are we treating it like one?

Corinne Ladha, Phoenix

Schools should teach us life skills

I am a student who is currently attending Sunrise Mountain High School in Arizona, and I am in support of adding life skills education to our school curriculum.

It is true that academic subjects are important. Practical skills such as time management, financial literacy and interpersonal communication are also very critical when it comes to being successful in the outside world.

If we include life skills education in our curriculum, we will be building a better and smarter future.

Karson Ashing, Phoenix

What’s on your mind?  Send us a letter to the editor  online or via email at  [email protected] .

Kids Ain't Cheap

12 Things Schools Will Never Be Able to Teach Your Kids About Life

Posted: March 7, 2024 | Last updated: March 7, 2024

Education is a cornerstone of personal development and societal progress. Schools play a pivotal role in imparting knowledge and skills necessary for academic and professional success.

However, there are vital life lessons and insights that educational institutions are inherently limited in teaching. These lessons, often learned through experience and personal reflection, are crucial for navigating life’s complexities. Here, we explore 12 things schools will never be able to fully teach your kids about life.

1. The Value of Failure

Schools often emphasize success and high achievement, but life’s most enduring lessons come from failure. It teaches resilience, perseverance, and the importance of bouncing back stronger.

Failure fosters creativity and innovation by encouraging us to explore alternative paths and solutions. It also humbles us, teaching the importance of humility and empathy towards others’ struggles. Understanding and embracing failure as a stepping stone to success is a lesson best learned through personal experience.

2. Emotional Intelligence

While schools can teach the basics of emotional awareness, the deeper aspects of emotional intelligence are learned through lived experiences.

Recognizing and managing one’s own emotions, and understanding and influencing the emotions of others, are complex skills developed over time.

Emotional intelligence is crucial for building strong relationships, navigating social dynamics, and achieving personal and professional success.

It involves empathy, self-regulation, and the ability to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically. Schools can provide a foundation, but the nuances of emotional intelligence are homed in the real world.

3. The Importance of Self-Care

Schools focus on academic and extracurricular achievements but often overlook the importance of teaching self-care. Learning to prioritize one’s mental, physical, and emotional well-being is crucial for long-term happiness and success.

Self-care practices help manage stress, prevent burnout, and maintain overall health. They encompass a wide range of activities, from exercise and nutrition to mindfulness and self-compassion. Developing a personal self-care routine is a deeply individual process that extends beyond the classroom.

4. Personal Finance Management

Although some schools offer basic economics or personal finance courses, the intricacies of managing finances are rarely covered comprehensively.

Understanding budgeting, saving, investing, and navigating financial challenges are critical life skills. Financial literacy involves making informed and effective decisions with all financial resources.

The ability to plan for the future, understand the value of investments, and handle debt responsibly are essential skills for independence. Real-world experience, mentorship, and self-education fill the gaps left by formal education.

5. The Art of Relationship Building

Schools teach students to collaborate and work in teams, but the art of building and maintaining personal and professional relationships goes beyond this. It involves active listening, empathy, mutual respect, and the ability to communicate effectively.

Strong relationships are built on trust and understanding, which require time and effort to develop. Networking, nurturing friendships, and building professional connections are ongoing processes that are essential for personal growth and career advancement. These skills are cultivated through real-life interactions and experiences.

6. The Reality of Work-Life Balance

The concept of work-life balance is crucial for a fulfilling life but is not a focus of traditional schooling. Learning how to balance professional ambitions with personal life, family, and hobbies is essential for well-being.

It involves setting boundaries, prioritizing tasks, and understanding one’s limits. Work-life balance is a dynamic equilibrium that changes with life’s phases and is learned through trial and error. Mastering this balance is key to long-term happiness and health.

7. The Significance of Self-Discovery

Schools play a role in shaping identity, but the journey of self-discovery extends far beyond the classroom. Understanding one’s passions, strengths, weaknesses, and values is a lifelong process.

It involves exploring different interests, facing challenges, and reflecting on personal experiences. Self-discovery is about finding purpose and meaning in life, which often requires stepping out of one’s comfort zone. This introspective journey is personal and unique to each individual.

8. Navigating Life's Uncertainties

Life is full of uncertainties and changes that schools can hardly prepare students for. Learning to adapt to unforeseen challenges, make difficult decisions, and cope with loss and disappointment is crucial.

These experiences teach resilience, flexibility, and the value of having a support system. Navigating life’s uncertainties involves embracing change and finding growth opportunities in adversity. These lessons are learned through facing life’s unpredictability’s head-on.

9. The Power of Curiosity and Lifelong Learning

While schools ignite the spark of curiosity, fostering a lifelong love for learning is a personal journey. Curiosity drives innovation, creativity, and personal growth.

It involves asking questions, seeking new experiences, and being open to new ideas. Lifelong learning extends beyond formal education to include skills, hobbies, and knowledge acquired outside of traditional academic settings. Cultivating a mindset of continuous learning and curiosity is essential for adapting to the ever-changing world.

10. Understanding and Practicing Mindfulness

Mindfulness and the ability to be present in the moment are seldom taught in schools, yet they are crucial for mental and emotional well-being.

Mindfulness practices help reduce stress, improve concentration, and enhance overall happiness. It involves being aware of our thoughts, emotions, and surroundings without judgment.

Practicing mindfulness leads to greater self-awareness and a deeper appreciation for life. This skill is developed through personal practice and reflection.

11. The Importance of Independence and Self-Sufficiency

Schools teach collaboration and dependency on systems, but true independence and self-sufficiency are learned through personal experience.

Being able to rely on oneself for decision-making, problem-solving, and taking care of one’s needs is crucial for adult life. Independence involves taking responsibility for one’s actions and their consequences.

It also includes the ability to live alone, manage daily tasks, and navigate the world without constant guidance. Developing independence is a key milestone in the transition from youth to adulthood.

12. The Art of Giving Back and Community Service

While community service may be encouraged in schools, the deeper value of giving back and contributing to society is often realized through personal experience.

Understanding the impact of altruism, empathy, and civic responsibility on both the individual and community level is vital. Giving back is about more than just fulfilling a requirement; it’s about making a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

It fosters a sense of connection, gratitude, and purpose. Engaging in community service out of genuine concern and willingness is a profound life lesson.

Beyond the Classroom

The true essence of life’s most important lessons lies beyond the reach of traditional schooling. While education provides a crucial foundation, the complexities, challenges, and beauty of life are often best understood through personal experience and introspection.

Encouraging kids to explore, question, and engage with the world around them prepares them for the richness of life in ways that the classroom cannot. As parents and educators, our role is to guide, support, and inspire our children to embrace these lessons, ensuring they grow into well-rounded, resilient, and mindful individuals.

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Africa: Academic Literacy Is More Than Language, It's About Critical Thinking and Analysis - Universities Should Do More to Teach These Skills

Making the adjustment from school to university is no easy task. For instance, there's a big difference between writing a high school essay and crafting an academic paper which meets university standards.

In the decades since formal apartheid ended, South Africa's universities have become increasingly accessible to students from different socioeconomic, schooling and linguistic backgrounds. But many of these students do not have the language or literacy skills to succeed at university level.

When I talk about "language", I don't mean that their level of fluency in English is the problem. In my long experience as a researcher and practitioner in the field of academic literacy, I have seen time and again that not only non-native English speakers struggle to transition from school to university. Many students, no matter what language they speak, lack the skills of critical thinking, analysis and logical reasoning.

Academic literacy is a mode of reasoning that aims to develop university students into deep thinkers, critical readers and writers. Many universities in South Africa offer academic literacy programmes to support struggling undergraduates. On paper, these programmes are an opportunity for students to read and analyse different academic texts. Ideally they should provide students with the academic tools to cope in an ever-changing university landscape and the broader South African economy.

But, as my research and that of other academic literacy practitioners shows , many South African universities' academic literacy programmes are still promoting what researchers in this field call a " deficit model ". Here, lecturers assume that academic literacy is about teaching generic skills that can be transferred across disciplines. These skills include note-taking, structuring an academic essay and constructing sentences and paragraphs. There's also a big focus on the rules of English grammar.

While these are all useful skills, academic literacy is about so much more.

This approach does not equip students with skills that can transform their minds : critical and logical reasoning, argumentation, conceptual and analytical thinking, and problem solving.

Without these skills, undergraduate students come to believe, for instance, that disciplinary knowledge is factual and truthful and cannot be challenged. They don't learn how to critically assess and even challenge knowledge. Or they only see certain forms of knowledge as valid and scientific. In addition, they believe that some (mainly African) languages can never be used for research, teaching and learning. Pragmatically, they also don't develop the confidence to notice their own errors, attempt to address them or seek help.

I would like to share some suggestions on how to produce university graduates who can think critically.

The deficit model

Why does the deficit model still prevail in South African universities? Research ( including mine ) offers some clues.

First, academic literacy still suffers from confusion around the definition. Not everyone in higher education agrees on what it is. So, disciplinary experts and some academic literacy practitioners misrepresent it as English language support. They assume that reading and writing in English with grammatical correctness is more important than critical thinking and argumentation.

They assume that a semester or year-long academic literacy course can "fix" students who lack these basic English skills. This approach tends to target and stigmatise people whose home language isn't English, most often Black South Africans, Afrikaans speakers and students from other parts of Africa.

Another issue is that some academic literacy lecturers are not familiar with or are unconcerned about new research. They don't follow national or global scholarly debates about the discipline. That means their teaching isn't grounded in research or in new theoretical shifts.

Moreover, academic literacy practitioners and disciplinary experts do not always work together to develop the courses. This entrenches misleading views about the field, and it means academic literacy lecturers are not always aware of what's expected in different disciplines.

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Doing things differently

These problems can be overcome.

Academic literacy programmes at South African universities should focus on providing students with empowering academic literacy skills that can transform their minds.

The starting point is to understand that academic literacy is a cognitive process. It helps students to think, read and write critically.

For this to happen, disciplinary boundaries and hierarchies must be disrupted. Academic literacy programmes should be designed collaboratively with disciplinary experts . This will guarantee contextual relevance. Academic literacy departments or units need to be staffed by academics who keep abreast of new research in the field. They should be familiar especially with research that focuses on the South African context.

Pineteh Angu , Associate professor, University of Pretoria

This article is republished from The Conversation Africa under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article .

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What I’ve Learned From My Students’ College Essays

The genre is often maligned for being formulaic and melodramatic, but it’s more important than you think.

By Nell Freudenberger

Most high school seniors approach the college essay with dread. Either their upbringing hasn’t supplied them with several hundred words of adversity, or worse, they’re afraid that packaging the genuine trauma they’ve experienced is the only way to secure their future. The college counselor at the Brooklyn high school where I’m a writing tutor advises against trauma porn. “Keep it brief , ” she says, “and show how you rose above it.”

I started volunteering in New York City schools in my 20s, before I had kids of my own. At the time, I liked hanging out with teenagers, whom I sometimes had more interesting conversations with than I did my peers. Often I worked with students who spoke English as a second language or who used slang in their writing, and at first I was hung up on grammar. Should I correct any deviation from “standard English” to appeal to some Wizard of Oz behind the curtains of a college admissions office? Or should I encourage students to write the way they speak, in pursuit of an authentic voice, that most elusive of literary qualities?

In fact, I was missing the point. One of many lessons the students have taught me is to let the story dictate the voice of the essay. A few years ago, I worked with a boy who claimed to have nothing to write about. His life had been ordinary, he said; nothing had happened to him. I asked if he wanted to try writing about a family member, his favorite school subject, a summer job? He glanced at his phone, his posture and expression suggesting that he’d rather be anywhere but in front of a computer with me. “Hobbies?” I suggested, without much hope. He gave me a shy glance. “I like to box,” he said.

I’ve had this experience with reluctant writers again and again — when a topic clicks with a student, an essay can unfurl spontaneously. Of course the primary goal of a college essay is to help its author get an education that leads to a career. Changes in testing policies and financial aid have made applying to college more confusing than ever, but essays have remained basically the same. I would argue that they’re much more than an onerous task or rote exercise, and that unlike standardized tests they are infinitely variable and sometimes beautiful. College essays also provide an opportunity to learn precision, clarity and the process of working toward the truth through multiple revisions.

When a topic clicks with a student, an essay can unfurl spontaneously.

Even if writing doesn’t end up being fundamental to their future professions, students learn to choose language carefully and to be suspicious of the first words that come to mind. Especially now, as college students shoulder so much of the country’s ethical responsibility for war with their protest movement, essay writing teaches prospective students an increasingly urgent lesson: that choosing their own words over ready-made phrases is the only reliable way to ensure they’re thinking for themselves.

Teenagers are ideal writers for several reasons. They’re usually free of preconceptions about writing, and they tend not to use self-consciously ‘‘literary’’ language. They’re allergic to hypocrisy and are generally unfiltered: They overshare, ask personal questions and call you out for microaggressions as well as less egregious (but still mortifying) verbal errors, such as referring to weed as ‘‘pot.’’ Most important, they have yet to put down their best stories in a finished form.

I can imagine an essay taking a risk and distinguishing itself formally — a poem or a one-act play — but most kids use a more straightforward model: a hook followed by a narrative built around “small moments” that lead to a concluding lesson or aspiration for the future. I never get tired of working with students on these essays because each one is different, and the short, rigid form sometimes makes an emotional story even more powerful. Before I read Javier Zamora’s wrenching “Solito,” I worked with a student who had been transported by a coyote into the U.S. and was reunited with his mother in the parking lot of a big-box store. I don’t remember whether this essay focused on specific skills or coping mechanisms that he gained from his ordeal. I remember only the bliss of the parent-and-child reunion in that uninspiring setting. If I were making a case to an admissions officer, I would suggest that simply being able to convey that experience demonstrates the kind of resilience that any college should admire.

The essays that have stayed with me over the years don’t follow a pattern. There are some narratives on very predictable topics — living up to the expectations of immigrant parents, or suffering from depression in 2020 — that are moving because of the attention with which the student describes the experience. One girl determined to become an engineer while watching her father build furniture from scraps after work; a boy, grieving for his mother during lockdown, began taking pictures of the sky.

If, as Lorrie Moore said, “a short story is a love affair; a novel is a marriage,” what is a college essay? Every once in a while I sit down next to a student and start reading, and I have to suppress my excitement, because there on the Google Doc in front of me is a real writer’s voice. One of the first students I ever worked with wrote about falling in love with another girl in dance class, the absolute magic of watching her move and the terror in the conflict between her feelings and the instruction of her religious middle school. She made me think that college essays are less like love than limerence: one-sided, obsessive, idiosyncratic but profound, the first draft of the most personal story their writers will ever tell.

Nell Freudenberger’s novel “The Limits” was published by Knopf last month. She volunteers through the PEN America Writers in the Schools program.