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Column: David Wilson: “Skills students need”

What does a high school student need to be successful in life?  I heard some very good insights about this in an informal meeting with a small group at the University of Missouri in Columbia on July 17.

We met because some of the journalism professors, along with the television station manager and the director of audience development at KOMU (mid-Missouri’s NBC affiliate), are helping plan the Arts and Communications Academy at Jefferson City High School.

David Wilson
David Wilson

JCHS is establishing seven career-oriented high school academies: arts and communications; business, management and technology; natural resources and agriculture; industrial engineering and technology; human services; health services; and global studies. Students will choose an academy based upon personal interests and any career goals they have.

Here are some prominent themes that emerged from the July 17 discussion:

No. 1 – Communication is extremely important. No matter what field a student ends up working in, he or she must have the ability to communicate thoughts in a concise and clear manner. Public speaking is important, as well as interpersonal communication.

No. 2 – Gaining experience at making a presentation in front of a group is also important. Students should develop simple communication skills such as knowing the topic of discussion, why it is important, and where to get more information. Understanding how to create and use a good power point presentation is vital.

No. 3 – Schools should cultivate a natural inquisitiveness in students. Students should learn to regularly ask questions. In addition, they should be encouraged to learn more about their interests and their passions. They should pursue learning in the direction that their curiosity takes them.

No. 4 – Being persistent is important in school and in all of life. Students need to dig deeper if they do not find the answer the first time. For some students, if they don’t find the answer on their smart phone, they give up. They need to keep seeking answers until they find them.

No. 5 – Schools should encourage students to learn how to be persuasive and to sell. Even if students do not go directly in to advertising or marketing, they must know how to best sell themselves and their ideas.

No. 6 – Students need to know when it is important to dress professionally and how to appropriately present themselves.

No. 7 – Students need to follow through and take advantage of opportunities. When there is a guest making a presentation in class, even some college students fail to speak to him or her afterwards. This shows respect and courtesy, but it is also a chance to get to know someone better and to learn more.

You will notice that nothing on this list is tied directly to subject area curriculum. Each item on the list has more to do with being cordial, showing good character, and having a disciplined work ethic.

Many employers would argue that in many ways, those are far more important to a person’s success than how much knowledge one has committed to memory.

David Wilson, EdD, has worked for 24 years in Missouri public schools as a teacher and administrator. He is one of the assistant principals at Jefferson City High School in Jefferson City, Mo. You may e-mail him at dwnotes@hotmail.com.