Skills we don't grade

By Jim Ellsberry

Over the years, I’ve had many opportunities to observe students at work in the classroom and to speak with teachers about issues related to instruction and curriculum. One of the issues that frequently comes up has to do with the emphasis on standardized tests as a measure of students’ success and ultimately the success of the school as measured by the criteria established by federal and state legislation, most notably No Child Left Behind and ISTEP.

No responsible person is going to argue the
need for academic performance assessment. Facts and information are the building blocks of knowledge; therefore, concerns about content mastery in language, math, science, social studies, etc., are certainly legitimate. However, many educators apparently disagree with the emphasis lawmakers place on the importance of academic learning at the expense of time devoted to mastering life skills. Many responsible and successful adults can’t recall the capitals of all fifty states, remember how to calculate the square root of 30, or the number of members in the House of Representatives.

The skills to which I refer cut across and have application in all subject areas; they may be learned in part through experience and/or indirectly through one’s formal schooling. It is essential that these skills be mastered, but in our rush to pass ISTEP, we fail to acknowledge their significance. We don’t even grade them.

Argue with my list if you choose, but following is a list of skills that are not receiving anything close to equal emphasis to that placed on subject matter grades.

1. Conflict Resolution - the skill to identify, manage, and resolve conflict without resorting to violence. It is the art using imagination and compromise through the exploration of alternatives to reduce anger, to minimize disagreements, and to avoid power struggles.

2. Time Management - the ability to organize one’s work/play schedule into an efficient, manageable plan of action. The exercise of skill in this area provides a sense of control over one’s life, reduces stress, and results in greater productivity.

3. Decision Making - the skills to analyze circumstances so that desired outcomes are clearly focused. Adeptness in decision making is drawn from one’s ability to separate needs from wants, to consider both the immediate goal and long-term results, and to have confidence in both data and intuition.

4. Interpersonal Skills - the capacity to respect the values and unique qualities in others. It is the ability to appreciate that we each have been endowed with different gifts having the potential to strengthen us collectively. Team players are quick to praise, support, encourage others . . . and play by the rules.

5. Locating Resources and Information - the wisdom to know what you don’t know and where to go to find it. Skills acquired in this area include utilizing a variety of sources, separating fact from opinion, and adapting the most valid and credible resources that serve the purpose.

6. Communication Skills - perhaps the most essential among the skills listed here, and one in which some grades are given, is the ability to clearly articulate one’s emotions, ideas, and needs. To be truly proficient one ought to be effective in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and interpreting both verbal and non-verbal cues. (Rarely are listening and interpreting given much formal attention.)

7. Practical Skills - everyone can be a success at something. Everyone should acquire some tangible skills, and not necessarily related to employment. Hands-on skills (activities) could include areas of personal interest and hobbies , such as cooking, sewing, small engine repair, photography, refinishing furniture, etc. Using one’s hands to create or to repair things results in positive self-esteem.

8. Self-Knowledge – the extent to which one is willing to examine and evaluate personal abilities and shortcomings reveals the extent of one’s self-understanding. Through the process of self-discovery one eventually comes to grips with one’s spiritual beliefs, values, aspirations, and sense of integrity. The more we learn about ourselves, the better prepared we are to lead and serve others.

9. Risk-Taking – represents one’s willingness to take a calculated risk, not a foolish, careless, or particularly daring action, but the willingness to risk failure or criticism. People are often immobilized because of their fear of failure or negative feedback; the only ones who have never failed are those who have never tried. Mostly people seem to learn this skill unconsciously through trial and error and persistence over time. There are ample opportunities to focus on this skill within the context of schooling.

10. Goal Setting – the ability to establish priorities, sequence the steps leading toward attainment, and mobilizing the resources. Setting goals makes one’s dreams more concrete, vague ideas become more real, and the sense of accomplishment is enhanced when goals are fulfilled through solid planning, attention to detail, and commitment to purpose.

There you have it; ten skills that I believe are inherent to effective adult roles. Students failing in one or more of these essential skills areas are surely falling short of realizing their full potential. As I sit through math and science classes I understand the importance of that knowledge, but I can’t help but wonder what difference it would make in our graduation rates if our lawmakers were only half as concerned with these as minimum requirements as they are with those in the academic disciplines.

Jim is the president of The DeWitt Institute for Professional Development. You may contact him at 317.933.3365