Life Skills
Elementary school classrooms are set up for behavior management in the most crucial development period. These are formative years, through more than educators, students learn by reproducing the basics of the alphabet, numbers, colors, shapes, animals, etc.. Basic cooking skills for example, the ability to nourish oneself and their community aren't taught
but there are plenty more. Life skills are ones that we all have had to pick up outside of the four walls of a classroom.
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What is one topic that you wish you knew more about?​
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Why do we focus on punishment and expect improved behavior?
Independent Living
Public schools are set up to prepare the next generation for life in the real world. It is the job of educators to teach kids the skills that they will need to use later in life. Educators are not supposed to be creating another "batch" of robot students that all end up in debt and feeling lost. This cycle of our current education system is a huge problem. It is contributing to the collective societal rise of depression and anxiety. The teachers don't always have enough help available to them directly.
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Independent living is a skill that everyone, regardless of mental or physical capacity must learn. Learning these skills increases independence, confidence, work ethic, living standards, work standards, etc.. We will eventually need to learn about, in some manner, information of services available, transportation, managing finances, resume workshops, interview preparation, budgeting, mental health, and nutrition.
Even though these are all really important aspects of being able to live independent and happy, it is not just learning how to cook or do your taxes, it is also giving students the freedom and opportunities to do what they want with their lives. It is about being in control of your emotions, having good social skills, being able to communicate clearly and being able to self reflect.
This is not supposed to fall on the shoulders of the few teachers who attempt to take this on while also following the standards. We have counselors for a reason, but not enough. We have SPED teachers for a reason, but not enough. The standards set us all up to believe that that is what will measure "success", however you define it, out in the real world. That simply is not true.
So many people live life going through the motions never feeling connected to themselves, their loved ones, and nature. How many people do you know that live their life through a job? Everything revolves around a job they may not enjoy and the same routine everyday for years.
Emotions
Self regulation and mindfulness are important things to be aware of when interacting with children as these things do not come innately. These skills have to be taught from individuals who are trained through a lens that is also culturally responsive.
This provides students with the opportunity to create their own emotional boundaries and learn how to provide self care for the rest of their life. This skill is extremely necessary however, the current education system has unqualified staff doing this work. If the adult is unable to be self aware and facilitate healthy communication, the child will learn the same.
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So what is emotional intelligence?
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Emotional intelligence is when an individual is able to recognize the root of their feelings and they can express them in a calm, supporting manner. Emotional intelligence provides deeper levels of understanding on an interpersonal level that translates to healthy communication with others. It is a challenging process that will provide them with the tools necessary to self-regulate and develop empathy for others.
Social Skills
It is not just schools that teach social skills. We teach ourselves and those around us the social abilities that we would like to see. We all have a part in the way we ask to be treated by how we present ourselves within our daily interactions.
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Communication and social skills go hand-in-hand but are different concepts that we have to be aware of when teaching. The concepts learned through developing healthy social skills will allow you to have open communication and positive interactions.
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- What are the skills that we wish our children develop?
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- How are we demonstrating healthy social skills?
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- Do you monitor behavior or facilitate growth?
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- How are you working to inspire collaboration?
Communication
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Communication is the action of expressing ourselves and has many different forms. Fostering healthy communication allows for both sides to be heard and acknowledged without judgement.
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Do we communicate differently?
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YES! We all learned how to communicate through our interactions with the people around us as we grew up. This means that everyone learned differently so there is no one way to convey your message positively with all people. Our different lived experiences cause us to project our biases onto others when we don't feel we are engaging in our ideal way. This point of frustration can be resolved with mindfulness, empathy and expressing how you feel. Nothing bad can come from speaking your mind if you engage in healthy communication practices. This sets the framework for positive interactions in the future.
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