Parents help out immensely with teaching our little ones important life skills, but we hope that our school systems are reinforcing those same ideals in the classroom. Are they?
Let's be totally clear: I think the following can be taught first and foremost right at home.
Still, when that isn't enough or we just need someone else to help carry the message along, here are 5 important things schools should teach our kids.
However, over the past 7 years, I've noticed a steady decline in my students' ability to remain focused during those 10 minutes, and god forbid we need to extend it just a bit...forget it!
1. Maintaining a Prolonged Attention Span
Have you heard of mini-lessons? Quick explanation: Students learn a skill in a lesson that's about 10-15 minutes long. Then they're expected to go off and produce quality work using that skill. In theory, it sounds good, right? Here's what you need to know...now go do it!However, over the past 7 years, I've noticed a steady decline in my students' ability to remain focused during those 10 minutes, and god forbid we need to extend it just a bit...forget it!
That's because we are training our kids to move from one thing to another as quickly as possible. I'll never forget when my college professor docked points from my student teaching observation because my mini-lesson ran for a full 14 minutes. Oh, the horror!
Outside the classroom, we need to be able to sit and listen for longer than a few minutes at a time. I'm not suggesting teachers make those times non-engaging for students, but I am hoping that they're not afraid to keep things going a bit longer if their students need it.
Hold on as I step up on my soapbox and say, "Get rid of the mini-lesson and just teach!" Our kids will be better for it.
This absolutely has its place in the classroom, but are constant stimulation and teacher-led tasks ultimately harming our children's development?
It's rare to find a child who can independently select an activity and maintain participation in that activity for an extended period. Why would they? They're trained to rely on adults for scheduling their day from sunup to sundown.
That's why I LOVE using this mnemonic to remind kids of things they can do independently:
I vividly remember my school nurse coming into my second-grade classroom in the 1990s with a bucket of water and a bar of soap. She showed us directly how to lather our hands and how to make sure that we scrubbed between each finger for a good amount of time. It seems a pretty obvious skill to teach, and yet so often it is washed away from the curriculum.
Oh, and using deodorant too. This is more essential than you can imagine, especially after recess.
Outside the classroom, we need to be able to sit and listen for longer than a few minutes at a time. I'm not suggesting teachers make those times non-engaging for students, but I am hoping that they're not afraid to keep things going a bit longer if their students need it.
Hold on as I step up on my soapbox and say, "Get rid of the mini-lesson and just teach!" Our kids will be better for it.
2. Occupying Oneself
Engaging! Hands-on! Movement breaks! Teachers do their best to keep kids occupied and busy whenever possible.This absolutely has its place in the classroom, but are constant stimulation and teacher-led tasks ultimately harming our children's development?
It's rare to find a child who can independently select an activity and maintain participation in that activity for an extended period. Why would they? They're trained to rely on adults for scheduling their day from sunup to sundown.
That's why I LOVE using this mnemonic to remind kids of things they can do independently:
Available in multiple colors!
3. Personal Hygiene
The COVID-19 pandemic opened many people's eyes to what teachers have known for years...too many people do not wash their hands.I vividly remember my school nurse coming into my second-grade classroom in the 1990s with a bucket of water and a bar of soap. She showed us directly how to lather our hands and how to make sure that we scrubbed between each finger for a good amount of time. It seems a pretty obvious skill to teach, and yet so often it is washed away from the curriculum.
Oh, and using deodorant too. This is more essential than you can imagine, especially after recess.
4. Time Management
We already saw how mini-lessons affect children's sustained learning tolerance, but once they go off to work, how do they use their time?It's expected that they use roughly 20-40 minutes working on a skill, either independently, with a partner, a small group, or teacher assistance. If they're in writing class, for example, they write and work on the day's skill as best they can. In fact, they do this every day with the same piece of writing for WEEKS.
That's all well and good -- until they are asked to write another story or essay. Sure, it may not be a standardized assignment where they're given only 40 minutes to brainstorm, write, and revise all in one sitting (a skill very few students possess nowadays), but even with a day or two to work on it, the quality of their work declines greatly.
Why is this? They have all the skills. They've practiced those techniques in their story. Why can't they replicate their success?
My experience leads me to believe that we are not teaching how to manage time when giving students complete freedom to work at their own pace every single day.
That's all well and good -- until they are asked to write another story or essay. Sure, it may not be a standardized assignment where they're given only 40 minutes to brainstorm, write, and revise all in one sitting (a skill very few students possess nowadays), but even with a day or two to work on it, the quality of their work declines greatly.
Why is this? They have all the skills. They've practiced those techniques in their story. Why can't they replicate their success?
My experience leads me to believe that we are not teaching how to manage time when giving students complete freedom to work at their own pace every single day.
Doing so has its merits at times, but encouraging this style of work ethic tends to create anxiety and poor effort when given a deadline.
Teachers, please, I know we sometimes fear giving a timeline because we don't want to cause unnecessary stress (see timed math activities that are now nearly banned in classrooms). But not doing so is, in my opinion, causing much more stress for future adults in the workforce down the line.
Teachers, please, I know we sometimes fear giving a timeline because we don't want to cause unnecessary stress (see timed math activities that are now nearly banned in classrooms). But not doing so is, in my opinion, causing much more stress for future adults in the workforce down the line.
🚨Unpopular Opinion Alert🚨:
Some controlled and purposeful stress at an early age will not harm our children, but it may instead help them later in life.
5. General Life Skills
As a society, we are so focused on core subjects that we forget the importance of teaching life skills.
At nearly 30 years old, I can confidently say I will not use much of my knowledge about balancing equations in my daily life, but I certainly need to know quite a bit about surviving adulthood.
Here are some general life skills that should be taught in schools K-12 (depending on the age of the given student population):
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| Click the image for your own free PDF version of the doc above! |
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As schools begin to take a second look at their curriculums post COVID19, I hope that they take these 5 things students should be learning into consideration. Let's set kids up for a successful future!
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