Role of Soft Skills in Effective Teaching
One
special teacher can make a student feel inspired, as though he can do
anything in the world if he sets his mind to it. Unfortunately, this
student may enter another teacher's class with a sense of overarching
dread. One teacher can make a spirit soar while the other seems destined
to destroy. The difference between the two teachers may be soft skills.
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Definition
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Depending on who you ask, soft skills are loosely defined as people skills. Kate Lorenz, an editor for CareerBuilder.com says that soft skills "refer to a cluster of personal qualities, habits, attitudes and social graces that make someone a good employee and compatible to work with." According to the Partnership for 21st Century Skills 2006 report, soft skills are an applied skill as opposed to basic knowledge skills. They note the most important of these skills as: Professionalism/Work Ethic, Oral and Written Communications, Teamwork/Collaboration and Critical Thinking/Problem Solving. These are the very skills educators seek to impart to their students.
Significance
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For teachers, the ability to use effective soft skills can make or break a career. While it may seem obvious that such skills would factor importantly in a classroom, soft skills are also paramount when working with parents, administration and other teachers. The U.S. Department of Education claims that such skills can improve teacher effectiveness.
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Function
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On any average day teachers work with a variety of people. Soft skills translate into the ability to successfully navigate the needs of those individuals. A teacher must use her oral and written communication skills every day to effectively pass on information to her students. A teacher uses teamwork and collaboration at any school-wide function, including faculty meetings. Without critical thinking and problem solving skills, the teacher could not effectively manage classroom behavior or student progress.
Effects
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A student gravitates toward success when taught by an effective teacher. Differences in teacher effectiveness can be "the dominant factor affecting student academic gain," according to S. Paul Wright, et al., in a 1997 article in the "Journal of Personnel Evaluation in Education." The best educators use soft skills naturally in the many interactions they encounter throughout the day.
The Facts
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The Department of Education presents its latest research-based educational practices in a forum known as "Doing What Works." At the website they take the latest research and apply it, in practical terms, to actual teaching in the classroom. Because these practices are research driven, they are highly regarded in the education industry. The site promotes collaborative soft skills.
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