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Monday, November 10, 2008
What more should students learn?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The other day I visited an interesting program for middle school students. The Gwinnett Toastmasters offered a free class to teach middle schoolers about public speaking.
The kids learned how to maintain eye contact, control fidgeting and avoid peppering their speech with “ums” and “uhs.”
The program organizer explained that public speaking is an important skill, but one that is rarely taught or at least taught well.
After visiting the class, I started thinking about some other skills kids need to learn. For example, imagine if kids left high school knowing how to keep a budget and understood the importance of good credit.
Students need to learn the core subjects in school. But what other skills do they need to learn — whether it be in school, at home or in an extra program — to succeed?
