Teachers have a difficult task at hand. They not only teach students about the basic fundamentals, like math and reading, but they also work hard to prepare our little ones for life in general. A teacher’s success can seem limited, though, when you consider how fast the world is changing and the lack of attention and funds that go into our schools.
There are simple tools and techniques we can use at our disposal to help ensure our kids are prepared for adulthood. In fact, their time in school is their first glimpse of the outside world away from the comfort of their homes. Here are four ways we can help prepare our kids for life and for success in whatever field they choose.
#1: Give students incentives to study.
One amazing fact about kids is, they’re all different and unique in their own special ways. Certain subjects will be more difficult for some students than for others. A lot of schools use the satisfaction of good grades as a motivating factor to do well, but that often doesn’t translate well in the real world. It also doesn’t give attention to the students who studied harder to grasp a concept than those who picked it up quickly.
This idea is difficult and can be discouraging for those who often fall behind. They’re seen as lazy and are punished rather than encouraged for the extra work they put in. Over time, a student will simply accept that they are a “C” student and are comfortable with that existence. It can lead to more problems down the road, including a loss of confidence.
#2: Do away with policies that discourage effort.
One way a lot of schools work to increase the graduation rate is to offer a lax set of rules for allowing students to choose and design their own workload. While it’s understandable that this might contradict the first point made about students working at different paces, this strategy discourages higher learning at any level.
Students who can just choose to evade subjects they don’t want to learn, take easier courses as alternatives to the core curriculum, and awarding those students diplomas simply for having the required number of credits does absolutely nothing to prepare them for life outside the school’s walls. In fact, it does the opposite. It allows for laziness to creep in and when that student enters the real world, they will not be given the same opportunities to ‘take it easy’.
#3: Teach methods that allow students to overcome peer pressure.
Even with elementary school students, peer pressure can offer a profound impact on how students treat their learning opportunities. In a lot of ways, if a certain student does well, studies hard, and participates in class, they are ridiculed and bullied. They may feel the pressure to slack off in class and not be as open in their learning as they should be in fear that the same will happen to them.
This may lead to bigger problems down the road when a student attends school/college simply for a sports-related endeavor and/or to achieve various levels of popularity. Schools can better prepare a student by using peer pressure to their advantage, such as enlisting peer groups to help influence like-minded students to encourage each other in their academic pursuits.
#4: Don’t make it too easy.
As pointed out in the first point, a lot of students are disadvantaged when it comes to learning various subjects. Where it’s necessary to offer incentives for better studies, a lot of schools just outright cut any attempts to encourage higher learning. This is often done in an attempt to save the student’s self-esteem or even because they don’t want to put in the extra effort.
By allowing students a free pass to get out of any subject they deem too difficult does nothing but set a dangerous precedent later in life. Instead, figure out new ways to teach those students in ways that speak to them. There is no ‘black and white’ way of learning. There’s a whole spectrum of ways to teach that can help those who have a tougher time learning.
#5: Teach them about money.
This is one area where parents are severely lacking. Most teenagers and young adults brought up today know very little about the financial world. They don’t know how to balance a checkbook or understand the virtues of saving. This lack of education will cost them severely down the road.
Take the time to teach your children about how credit works, why they should save their money, and how not to become big spenders. If they’re going to be successful in life, then this is one major lesson they need to learn. Don’t just give them everything they want, either, but rather allow them to develop the tendency to earn what they do get.
Being a teacher is one of the most rewards jobs on the planet. There’s no doubt that it’s also one of the toughest. There seems to be a trend as of late to make schooling easier, less complicated, and designed to just push those who have trouble learning through the system. In the end, that does nothing to prepare them for life.
They will go into the world lacking proper problem-solving skills to handle the difficult times. Offer incentives and teach in ways that speak to each individual student. You’ll be amazed at the results and how eager they will be to learn if it’s done in the right way for their brain to interpret.
