The Soft Skills
12/10/2020
Planning, Organizing, Divvying up tasks, Working collaboratively, Making decisions, Meeting deadlines, Listening, Communicating, Contributing, Problem solving, Revising, Engaging, Executing. Many would argue that these skills far outweigh the academic skills of readin’, writin’, and ‘rithmatic in the real world. These are the skills that help us with most everything we do in life. Being able to have kids practice these skills in a safe environment has been essential to their social growth and development especially in a time of isolation where students have few opportunities to engage with others. Group work pushes students to think in ways that may not come naturally to them. They have to step up and be heard if they want to also feel ownership. Students have to recognize when their group is getting off track, consider another’s feelings, decide what is reasonable, compromise, and utilize many other "soft skills". These last two weeks before the winter break, 7th and 8th graders are turning favorite childhood picture books into short films for the entertainment of the youngers in the community. Middle Schoolers will also be learning about film making, using the school equipment and figuring out where they fit best into a film crew. This kind of project would not have been possible at the beginning of the year. Over the course of the semester, these students have really gotten to know one another well and understand how to respectfully engage with each other so that positive forward progress can be made in whatever they are doing. The groundwork has been laid, and these middle schoolers are comfortable enough to do just about anything together. Focussing on the social skills needed to work in a group is likely one of the most important aspects of middle school. Without developing these skills, students would be challenged to use and share what they know to succeed. Comments are closed.
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Sarah Mariner
Ms. Mariner earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Science from Colorado State University, and was awarded a teaching certificate through the University of Alaska, Southeast. Her varied background includes being an environmental education field instructor in Massachusetts, Colorado, and Baja, Mexico. She also served two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic. Archives
April 2021
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