You Can't Teach That at my School......or Any Other for That Matter!

There is a great outcry from business and industry for "soft-skills," "work ethic," and "employability skills!" No doubt there is great need. The problem is that the education system is taking an academic approach to solve this problem and it isn't, and will not work. Please allow me to explain...

First, we need to define the terms! Teaching has become primarily an academic pursuit to impart knowledge to someone. Learning is a byproduct of knowledge that is pursued, found and applied in a practical environment. The best way to accommodate learning (especially skills) is through training and not teaching. Training is delivering knowledge in an environment with the expectation and demonstration of competence (applied knowledge). This is the best way to attain or deliver skills; employability, soft or otherwise (work ethic is a skill too).

Do we need a curriculum for this? NO! To understand this, let's do a little reflection on history... Originally, these attributes were learned by training at home. Especially if you were raised on a farm or were exposed to skills because of family work choices. Parents saw this as necessary for the success of their child. Schools were in place to reinforce the positive home values and skills, not be the primary teacher/trainer. No textbook or a workbook required! The key was a set of values and an unwavering expectations to practice the skills and meet the expectations.

Back to the present! Unfortunately these skills have lost their priority in many homes today. Too many parents are more concerned with giving their children things or "a better life" through helping them become the most educated, the best athlete, the next rock star or what the parents think they should have become! They have willingly and even purposefully handed this responsibility to the education institutions. It is an unfortunate place that the schools and the teachers have been put in this position!

Don't despair. There is good news! Although it is most desirable for these skills to be primarily taught at home, there is a way to have a positive effect on the students. But wait! You said there wasn't a curriculum required! That is correct. There is a simple, cost effective and efficient way to train the skills needed by all employers, the students and the rest of society too! This is so simple, some are going to say I am being foolish, simple or naive!

So what is this concept, plan or idea? Don't miss this folks! Don't blink it might get by you.... This concept goes by several names; discipline, rules, expectations and so on. Some of you are thinking, "REALLY???!!!", that's it? Yes, really! Let me break it down a bit more. Some of examples of soft skills: teamwork and problem solving. So how does rules and discipline help train this skill? If students are required to treat others with respect and expected to work together in class, then they are learning teamwork. If they are expected to be prepared for class every day, expected to be to class on time and don't have time to stop at their locker between every class, they have to use problem solving to to insure compliance.

So what about work ethic? First, what is work ethic? Being on time, being present consistently, being prepared, communicating when exceptions are needed, among others. Sound familiar? But wait! Shouldn't those things be happening with students as part of being in school??? Of course it should be! So why do we need a curriculum for that? We don't! We explain well the expectations and hold ALL of the students accountable to meet them. If they don't, then there are consequences. It is simply a matter of setting the expectations and not accepting less.

So why is it not working already? After all the rules, expectations and needs addressed by these rules haven't changed much. That is because they are still basic to organizational function of any kind, school, work or social settings. There are two basic reasons. First, we (the education system) are using an academic approach to skills and behaviors that should just expected and retrained where needed rather than taught. It is ineffective at best. It is necessary to train students on these skills by setting the expectation and practicing. If they are not successful, we retrain to a point and/or allow them to suffer appropriate consequences for not doing so. The consequences must include disciplinary actions if needed. This becomes the culture of discipline, including self-discipline. One note here, the culture of the school also HAS to be that everyone at all levels, has to consistently communicate and enforce the basic rules. Anyone not holding the young people accountable to the rules would be classified as unprofessional and at some point the behavior becomes grounds for dismissal.

So what's the bottom line here? The skills and behaviors needed haven't really changed, just our approach to making them happen. We need the education system to communicate the rules and expectations clearly. We need to to hold ALL young people accountable to comply and meet the expectations. We need to stop taking up time teaching the behaviors that are needed to function. Rather train them that rules are what they will practice and demonstrate or there will be consequences. If this concept is basically new, initially it will require additional effort and resources but in a matter of time, short time, it will become much easier. Then the approach should require only a small amount of resources and achieve the goal of behaviors and skills that we, and they, need them to have! It also gives teachers more valuable time to focus on their students at different levels and helps teachers keep some of their sanity!

Until we get control of our schools and classrooms, we will continue to have limited learning and these young people will continue not to have the skills they need! Let's bring back discipline to our schools!