5 Skills Schools Don't Teach That Are Impacting Students' Futures

Every day, it seems like a new standard is being added to the curriculum. Yes, teachers are overwhelmed so no, it should not be entirely their responsibility to teach kids how to be functioning humans (although sometimes it is).

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.

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.

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: 

Get your free PDF copy of this poster by clicking HERE. 

Available in multiple colors!

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Raising a More Confident Child

The students that are always at the forefront of my mind are those with low self-confidence. More so than the struggling reader or mathematician, these are the kids that keep teachers lying awake at night.

Confidence is not an "either-or". It's not something we're born with or without. Only our experiences can influence our own self-confidence That, my friends, is where parenting can do a world of good.

So how do we raise confident children? Based on my observations and many conversations with parents over the years mixed with a bit of personal experience, I suggest trying a few if not all of the following things.

1. Allow Kids To Take Ownership of Homework Struggles

While whether or not to assign homework is a hot topic in education right now, the fact is that we can use homework as a tool for helping our children be self-advocates.

Too many times, parents tell me of the arguments and tear fests that ruin an evening because the homework is "too hard." What's the worst thing we can do as parents? One is to yell at our children about how to do the work or force them to finish. The other is emailing the teacher on their behalf. Please don't do either of these, I beg you.

Instead try this: Have your child write their teacher a brief note explaining what exactly they're stuck on. I encourage my students to do so on a brightly colored Post-It Note and stick it right on the homework page. I recommend these lined Post-Its for added neatness. This encourages students to approach their teachers with a specific question.

Even if the homework is unfinished, trust me when I say teachers will appreciate the students' ability to communicate what's frustrating them. In turn, students' confidence often soars once they see that they can get the help they need if only they advocate for themselves. Give it a try and let me know how it goes in the comments below!

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Should I Email The Teacher About This? Encouraging Self-Advocacy

Not too long ago, the only way to reach your child's teacher was to leave a message for her to call you back or just wait for conferences. Either option gave parents time to think, "Is this something that needs to be shared?" More often than not, I'm willing to bet the answer was no.

Today, email has made communication between home and school faster than ever. Don't get me wrong, at times this is great! Michael will be in late today. No problem! Sarah had an issue with the school bully? We're on the case! 

Still, every once in a while, the fleeting thoughts of parents who just tucked their little ones into bed make their way into our already overflowing inbox. So before you hit that send button, check out these real email messages my colleagues and I have received that maybe could have stayed in the draft folder.

"The class next door played a video and the sound distracted my child."

Anyone who has lived in an apartment before knows the struggle of trying to take a nap while your neighbor blasts his Top 40 playlist. You might knock on the door and ask him to turn it down a bit, but ultimately you may still hear it. You will survive. The same goes for school. Besides, it's very unlikely that our children will one day work in an environment void of all noise and distractions. 

Instead of sending that email, have a conversation with your child about strategies for refocusing on the task at hand. Practice mindfulness by taking several deep breaths or take a short break. Chances are the class next door will make noise again.

"My child left his homework folder in school."

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