Teaching soft skills is more important than ever before. For years, hiring managers have long been reporting a lack of soft skills in recent graduates. Research conducted in 2018 with Fortune 500 CEOs by the Stanford Research Institute International and the Carnegie Melon Foundation, found that 75% of long-term job success depends on people skills. Only 25% depended on job-related skills. With country still experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic, and many employees having to adapt to different routines and new ways of connecting with colleagues, soft skills are essential.
How can you do more to teach soft skills in any CTE program? We asked a variety of instructors how they are teaching soft skills in their classrooms (or remote learning environments). Here are the tips they shared. Recommendations for adapting each tip for an online or in-person educational setting are included.
Tip #1: Use group projects to foster teamwork
Teamwork skills include the mix of interactive, interpersonal, problem-solving and communication skills needed by a group of people working on a common task, towards a common goal.
In a conversation with North Carolina FCS teacher Ashley Edmonds recently, she shared the benefits of group projects in her FCS classroom. Any assignment that involves collaboration will help your students hone their ability to work in teams.
Ashley says she’s found that sometimes, information is received differently when it comes from your peers. For her, group projects help her understand their ability to work as a team and see who can be a team player.
Teaching in-person? Assign in-class time to research a topic and present as a group. Require that each student spend an equal amount of time presenting a different portion of the information.
Teaching online? Students can still be responsible for scheduling their Zoom meetings, during which they can work together to conduct research or create a group PowerPoint presentation.
Tip #2: Begin with an elbow-bump (or a virtual high five)
We all know that a good handshake is a skill that can make a huge impression in any setting, particularly a business one. Although elbow bumps have replaced handshakes these days, practicing this skill will still help your students master the keys to a good first impression:
- Eye contact
- A confident greeting
- A smile
Teaching in-person? Begin by starting each day bumping elbows or offering an “air” high five.
Teaching remotely? Encourage each student to take a turn “high fiving” their webcam, ensuring that in the moments before or after they are also maintaining eye contact, smiling and offering a confident “good morning” or “good afternoon.” With each student, return the greeting individually.
Sample Scenario Cards. Our workplace-specific Career Scenario Cards use real-world situations and interactive activities to help students develop key soft skills. Use the three activity cards in each of these samples to preview the activities featured in our complete, 19-card career scenario sets.
Tip #3: Cultivate empathy at every opportunity
Empathy is the ability to identify with another person by sharing in their perspective and feelings. This soft skill is commonly valued in the helping professions, like counseling and social work, but can bring great value to teams in all professions by helping develop camaraderie and trust.
This is why WI nursing instructor Kasey Carlson recommends cultivating empathy at every opportunity, whether it’s through a reading, a simulation, group discussion or another activity.
Kasey told us she thinks that every lesson concept should include reminders on the importance of empathy. Case studies, simulation, and even exam questions can prepare students to handle uncomfortable topics.
Teaching in-person? Assign a reading and have students pair up to discuss their feelings. They can present their thoughts to the class to foster a larger group discussion, or summarize their discussion in a written report.
Teaching online? Students could complete a video assignment, then pair up using video conferencing tools to discuss their feelings on the topic. They can present their thoughts to the class via a recorded video, a Zoom presentation or a writing assignment submitted via an LMS system.
Free Empathy Guide. Download our free guide, Classroom Ideas to Help Students Develop Empathy Toward Older Adults, to get your students thinking about the challenges older individuals face on a daily basis.
Tip #4: Use real-world examples to make lessons relevant
The more relevant you can make your lessons, the more your students will engage with the content and connect what you’re teaching them with their own futures.
This is why LA culinary teacher Jennifer Hebert recommends incorporating real-world examples about how your students are already using soft skills every day.
For instance, Jennifer asks her students to give examples of how communication and critical thinking are needed to keep food safe as one person cooks burgers to the correct temperature and another prepares and serves it the proper way.
Teaching in-person? Have each student stand up and share a soft skill they use each day at their job or athletic activity, along with a time they feel that skill made a difference.
Teaching online? Conduct the same exercise via Zoom, or have each student create a PowerPoint slide illustrating their example.
Tip #5: Create opportunities to practice teamwork with student-run scenarios
EMT instructor Krista Wenz recommends letting students be in charge of skills practice scenarios whenever possible. Doing so promotes strong working relationships, which of course are needed not only in the classroom, but in the workplace.
Krista does this in her EMT courses by having students play the role of patient, EMT, firefighters and family members. You can do it in your class by having students play the role of caregiver and parent, or patient and nurse, or interviewer and interviewee. Let the students work together to determine how a scenario be conducted, who will play which role, etc.
Teaching in person? Set up a scene in class and give students face-to-face time to plan the scenario.
Teaching online? Put students into small groups to plan scenario details, writing or presenting via live video who would play which role and why.
Tip #6: Set daily expectations
Every day, professionals around the world are expected to arrive on time, be prepared, dress for success, use proper spelling and punctuation, etc. You can set your students up to succeed in the workplace by expecting professionalism from them every day – even if you’re not meeting in person.
Teaching in-person? Make sure your students know to raise their hands without interrupting, maintain eye contact as they politely ask questions (of you and of their peers), turn in assignments on time and with proper spelling and punctuation, etc.
Teaching online? Emphasize the importance of “virtual professionalism” and “netiquette” by maintaining the same expectations as above, reminding them not to show up on their webcams in pajamas, actively listen (and reflect that action in their body language), etc.
Tip #7: Create an atmosphere of familiarity
Successful teamwork fosters successful communication, problem-solving, creativity and even dependability. If your students don’t know each other, they will be less comfortable collaborating and learning from each other.
(And for many of today’s students, reflecting with their peers helps them make important connections with lesson content.)
That’s why WI nursing educator Bobby Scanlon recommends conducting activities to help your students get to know one another. When they pair up to practice skills, they’ll have a greater sense of comfort with each other and can interact a little better. They won’t be as afraid to ask questions and discuss what’s happening.
Teaching in-person? Pair students up on the first day to interview each other, then introduce their partner to the rest of the class.
Teaching online? Pair students up and have them conduct video interviews to submit to you. They could also create presentation slides about their partners that you could share to the entire class as a special presentation.
Tip #8: Make intentional assignment tweaks
Even before the pandemic, research showed that the ability of a company to adapt was the new competitive advantage. That remains true today. Now more than ever, demand is growing for employees who can adapt to an ever-changing workplace, who is open to new ideas, and who doesn’t panic when things don’t go according to plan.
How can you encourage this trait in your students? Intentional assignment tweaks is one way.
We recently interviewed some digital communications students at our local tech college, and they shared how quickly they had to adapt pre-planned social media posts when their professor intentionally changed the theme of the week at the last possible minute. She did this on purpose. She wanted them to have the opportunity to practice that adaptability and adjust to change. They had to scramble to create and schedule content and adjust their calendars accordingly… and the experience stuck with them.
Intentional assignment tweaks, changes half-way through, can help your students learn how to be flexible and adapt to change, two important soft skills. This can be done whether you’re teaching online or in-person.
Tip #9: Practice giving and receiving feedback
According to a 2017 analysis by the Wall Street Journal, U.S. colleges are falling short when it comes to teaching students critical thinking skills like assessing evidence, interpreting data and making cohesive arguments. Peer review and peer-to-peer feedback can be an effective way to help students develop those skills – plus, it increases student engagement and helps them see the relevancy of what they’re doing, who important concepts for today’s 21st century students.
To do this in your classroom, consider these tips:
- Set expectations. It’s about helping, not judging
- Use a feedback rubric fine-tune the process and encourage specific suggestions
- Moderate feedback to ensure it remains fair and helpful. Start with a small, short assignment, like the introduction to an essay or an assessment worksheet
This is another tip that doesn’t really change whether you’re teaching online or in person. Why? The key here is to require feedback in written form – in person or online – to keep feedback anonymous, and encourage student comfort.
Tip #10: Use project-based learning to foster time management and responsibility
Experiential learning activities not only engage students but let them connect the skills they’re learning with the real world. That’s why agriculture teacher Brent Nelson tries to create as many individual and group projects as possible.
Nelson told us that a lot of his students don’t thrive in a traditional classroom setting, so project-based learning is very appealing. By putting students in charge of long-term projects, like his classroom’s hydroponics system, his students learn valuable soft skills like time management and responsibility. He says that they maintain the lettuce, plant, harvest and prepare it, and in turn, learn valuable time management and responsibility skills.
Teaching in-class? Offer independent and group projects for bigger credit. Put students in charge of project management, planning deadlines, completing the actual work, determining follow-up assignments. Etc.
Teaching online? Conduct similar assignments where students use video systems and other technology to connect with each other, research and present, in addition to listening to you, watching videos or reading.
Tip #11: Prioritize informal and speaking opportunities
Even before the pandemic, we were facing an increasingly connected world, thanks to technology and digital media. But that also means today’s students will be increasingly communicative. They’ll need to strong speaking and listening skills to succeed in the 21st Century workplace.
That couldn’t be more true in a post-COVID world. This is why formal oral speaking opportunities, like individual or group presentations, promote the development of a number of skills, including communication and self-confidence.
But regular informal oral speaking opportunities are also valuable. These present themselves all the time – when students ask you for help, or ask to borrow a pen from their neighbor, or when they ask a peer for help. By making sure your students are interacting with each other and you while maintaining good eye contact, using a friendly tone, speaking confidently, etc., you can help them hone their communication skills.
Tip #12: Use small talk conversation cards
Small talk is considered a foundational soft skill. It’s where all conversations begin. It shows you can think on your feet; it demonstrates intelligence; and of course, it speaks to your ability to communicate.
One of our customers share how they use small talk conversation cards. These simple, pre-made notecards had general questions and statements already written on them. By using these cards regularly, this customer’s students were given the chance to regularly:
- Become used to conversing with people they may not be used to speaking with
- Practice the “three p’s” of small talk: being polite, positive and professional
- Learn valuable networking skills
Teaching in person? Keep a bunch of conversation cards at the ready in your room, and use them as an icebreaker activity for the first few minutes of class, or to wrap up the end of class when presented with extra time.
Teaching online? Set aside the first 10 minutes of a class for students to Zoom with just each other. Encourage them to record their sessions and submit to you, which you can review and discuss with them for further reflection.
Need some help creating small talk conversation cards of your own? Start by incorporating these conversation starters.
Tip #13: Use video diaries
As many teachers and students have learned firsthand these last few months, giving your students the chance to use technology in productive, meaningful ways will help them get used to using such tools and become comfortable – and video diaries are a great way to do this no matter what you teach. Plus, creating video diaries promotes reflection, critical thinking and communication skills, other valuable soft skills.
With the use of easily downloadable apps, students can create video diaries whether they’re learning in person or online.
Tip #14: Coordinate mock interviews
Mock interviews are wonderful ways to give your students real-time practice using soft skills like critical thinking and communication. Plus, they’ll get experience thinking on their feet.
Teaching in person? Contact former students or local professionals who will guest speak in your classroom. Before they arrive, encourage your students to find information on their companies and consider questions they think employers would ask them. Prepare a detailed rubric for the interviewers to use during the process, so they know what they’re listening and looking for, and you’ll have a consist method of evaluation.
Teaching online? Coordinate Zoom meetings for your guest speakers (this might even be easier to coordinate than an in-person visit), or arrange to show a clip from a local news show or a staged interview that demonstrates a good exchange.
Need a sample mock interview rubric? Download this one for free.
Tip #15: Make time to reflect
Reflection brings learning to life. Reflective practice helps learners find relevancy and meaning in a lesson and make connections between educational experiences and real-life situations. It increases insight and makes your lessons “sticky.”
Below are some ideas for reflecting after teaching soft skills:
- Write a one-minute paper
- Write journal entry or blog
- Create a video blog or video journal post
- Reflect out loud in class or in small groups
Whatever reflection activity you implement, stopping to take time to reflect will help your students learn from their mistakes and recognize strengths and weaknesses – and in the case of these soft skill tips, reflection will help them connect these lessons to the real-world.
More resources for teaching soft skills
- Our interactive soft skills programs focus on leadership, employability and even entrepreneurship skills. What’s more, they’re available in paper-based and online formats, so you can select the program that works best for you. Learn more.
- Download our soft skills guide: 5 Ideas for Incorporating Soft Skills Into Any Classroom
- Watch our on-demand webinar: “Teaching Soft Skills: 15 Tips in 30 Minutes:”
