I often remind students that they need to chase their vision of success. I learned early in my career that many students didn’t know why they were born and what they were supposed to do here on this earth. It was sad to see them wandering with no direction in their life. Their effort and performance reflected that something was missing. I had to find the time to share with students the importance of discovering their WHY. Without it, giving effort and engaging would always be a struggle.

If they did have an understanding of their vision of success, many were missing out on the soft skills that they needed to sustain their success. For example they didn’t know how to seize the day and move closer to their goals. I had to take it upon myself as their teacher to go beyond the content and help them to live life on purpose. As a teacher, you spend a great deal of time with your students. You are a very influential person in their life. No, it’s not in your job description, but many of your students need you to light the way for them. They need you to show them how to navigate successfully through life while also dealing with the ups and downs of life. They need you to be that life coach offering useful feedback and guiding them through the unknown. Here are 3 things to keep in mind:

1. You don’t have to be a motivational speaker

Just give students the benefit of your wisdom. Help them avoid the mistakes that you made by sharing your story with them. If it comes from the heart, that’s enough to motivate.

2. Share quotes with your students

Below is a quote of the week that I share with students on my Vision Chasers YouTube channel. You can simply engage students in a quote that is thought provoking and compelling. Next, encourage the students to think about how that quote can apply to them.

3. Give Action Steps

When you give feedback, make sure you give them actions steps too. The action steps gives you a reason to check in on the student and see how their progress is going. Often, students will need to course correct and action steps gives you the perfect opening to assist.

Doing your part to help your students acquire the soft skills they need is not impossible. Your students are depending on you. Let me know about your experience in the comments section.

MB

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It was Christmas Day in 1987 and my favorite gift was a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). I played Super Mario Brothers for hours that day on a black and white TV. I was so happy. It didn’t bother me that I couldn’t save my progress. It didn’t bother me that I had to sit pretty close to the screen because the controller wasn’t wireless. When the wireless controller was introduced later, it was groundbreaking. It was also much much more expensive. How could the controller communicate with the system without a connected wire? Fast forward to today and the wireless controller is standard. I am a PS4 Guy today and I no longer have to sit close to the TV because of the Bluetooth technology. Wireless devices are common and inexpensive.

A wireless controller works just as well as a wired controller. Although the connection can’t be seen by the eye, the wireless technology works perfectly. Soft Skills are like a wireless controller. Soft Skills can be defined as tools you need in order to achieve and sustain success. Soft Skills set you apart from others and allow you to attract multiple opportunities. Soft Skills are also intangible which means that you can’t see them, but you can recognize their presence. Here are some examples of Soft Skills:

• Strong work ethic
• Organization
• Communication Skills
• Adaptability
• Works well with others

You need to do all you can to invest in these skills. They are so powerful. Much like a wireless controller, it is hard to see how they work, but I guarantee you that they do.

MB (c/o 98)

It Can Be Done

Anthony loved to fly his kite whenever he got a chance. He was so excited because today was the day that his parents promised to take him to the beach (a place where there should be a lot of wind). As the car approached the beach, he looked out the window and watched the numerous kites flying high in the sky. With a great big smile on his face, he throws his kite in the air as he had done many times. He was so surprised when…..his kite fell to the ground like a 50 lb weight. He tried it again only to get the same results. He tried another time and almost ran someone over trying to get his kite to fly like the others. After 20 minutes of this, he was very disappointed and didn’t understand what was going on. Everyone else was able to fly their kite except for him.

While this is a fictitious story, I use it to prove another point about success. A kite by itself cannot perform its desired purpose without wind. Wind is invisible, but it is a powerful force that yields visible results. Soft Skills are intangible skills that you must have if you want to be successful in life. These skills set you apart from everyone else and help to elevate your performance and get you noticed. When you are noticed, opportunities come your way. A lot of people say that want to be successful and want opportunities, but without those soft skills, it can be very challenging to get your dream off the ground.

Soft Skills are to a Dream what Wind is to a Kite

Opportunities to grow and sharpen your Soft Skills are everywhere. School is the primary place where you have the opportunity to learn and grow. Here are some examples of Soft Skills:

• Respect for authority
• Conflict Resolution
• Problem Solving
• Communication
• Adaptability
• Accountability
• Teamwork

Grow and Sharpen your Soft Skills each and every day.

Marvin Byrd (c/o 98)

It Can Be Done