This is so important and they just don't seem to get it.. One of our major complaints when seending students out on externships are general manners toward others - Hello, Thank You. This is the most important part of their career communication with others..
The most difficult soft skill to teach them is general manners that should have been instilled in childhood and being curteous to others.
Jamie,
How have you been able to overcome this with students? What ideas do others have about teaching this?
Philip Campbell
In my field of work we are teaching students how to deal with people who are sick or injured. The healthcare field has an extremely high demand for soft skills. Having empathy, a positive attitude and integrity are some of the most important skills our students must obtain. These are difficult to "teach". I find that some people have it and some don't. For those who struggle with the soft skills I find myself role playing with them in the sense of putting them in the position of the patient or family member. These types of drills typically help the students to gain a better understanding of what it takes to be a healthcare professional. Not just for their patients but also for the staff they work with.
So many of these soft skills are so important I find it difficult to pick just one.
Many of the skills discussed in this class I had always taken for granted and assumed everyone had these abilities. Even as a young adult I tried to follow what I thought were these unwritten rules and regulations!
I think what I have noticed is a lack of dependability. I find my students sincerely do not feel obligated to make it to work or class on time or at all in some cases. That most minor of issues is sufficient reason to take a day off or arrive hours late. This nearly causes a panic attack if it happens to me because I feel a commitment to whatever I am doing, even if I would like to take the day off!
I try to relate real life stories and situations as an example to my students, particularly with the economy. By taking a day off or showing up 2 hours late you may lose your job, especially knowing that 50 other people may WANT that job!
Thanks,
Doug
Reminding students to use please and thank you.
Getting them to understand they need to have this to better them in life and it is not hard skills only. They actually have to speak to people they don't know in the right manor. Guess it woould be speaking clearly and making eye contact with people.
Diana,
Speaking with people clearly is something that leaves an impression. Communication is important no matter if you are a student or a teacher.
Philip Campbell
I'm a massage instructor. I find that teaching some students how to be self-aware can be challenging. Massage therapists in general tend to pay very close attention to what is going on in their clients' bodies, rather than in themselves. It can be very valuable to become more self-aware. It often helps you become more client aware in the process.
Jill,
Goo dpoint, but how do we teach that? Is it something that can be taught? Adult learners in general are usually more self aware than adolescents, but the goal is to get them to be more self aware.
Philip Campbell
i find that the hard skills most students have no problem with however when it comes to work place manners, punctuality, tact and delivery its much harder for the students to grasp the importance of it, most of them learn by trial and error, they learn to conform down the road
leigh ,
Unfortunately they do not learn those until after something happens as you say in trial and error. The bad part is that sometimes the damage is done. That is why we need to try to do more while training with the hard skills as well.
Philip Campbell
The most difficult soft skill to teach seems to be that of chosing a positive attitude. Many of my students have had a difficult life - some have lost their jobs, lost their homes, and some have even lost family members - so the idea of having a positive attitude seems impossible given their background. I try to show them that having a positive attitude is directly related to resiliency, that is, overcoming obstacles and pushing through to achieve their goals. I attempt to teach this soft skill the only way I know how: through modeling a positive behavior every day that they step into my classroom. Sometimes my positivity is contagious, and sometimes it is not, but I really feel that while this is the most difficult soft skill to teach, it is also one of the most important.
Hilary,
Overcoming obstacles is hard to teach. Sometimes these student have only ever given up or walked away because it was the easiest thing to do. Modeling is a great way to show this. Keep up the good work.
Philip Campbell
I think integrity is difficult to teach, because it starts when they are young. If they dont see it with in their family it may not be understod when adults.
In my classroom I feel common sense/empathy is the most difficult. I teach Medical Assisting and the problem that reoccurs most often is the student that makes an inappropriate comment to a "patient". I make sure to do a lot of group excercises involving different patient scenarios and the appropriate way to handle the situation.
Communication is a challenging soft skill for me to teach to some students... such as effective ways to communicate to resolve conflicts, and the importance of being professional when communicating in healthcare (just to name a couple). I tell my students that they may decide to speak a certain way with their friends, but it may not be appropriate in a healthcare setting.
I agree that teaching students to remain objective is a challenge. My students are going into the healthcare field, so this is something that they need to understand/learn because it will be important in their future careers. Often times, my students find it difficult to remain objective in their writing (reports) and during oral presentations.
I have to agree that manners, punctuality, and personal discipline as well as respect for others seem to have declined recently especially with the advent and increased use of texting and other forms of impersonal communication now widely used by the student population.
Sometimes one of the most difficult things to teach students is teamwork and helping out their fellow classmates. At the end of a clinic session, some students want to leave early if they finish ahead of other students. In order to get them to stick around and help fellow students also get out of clinic on time, they receive a few extra points in professionalism. It's their choice to leave early but they lose a few points off their daily grade if they do. I'm hoping it lets them know that team work is also important, not just good time management.
