What life skills should we teach teens?

We spend quite a lot of time teaching teens the skills they need to master the English language. And what about life skills? Is it included in our responsibilities? Being a teacher means being an educator who leads students to their bright future. Hence, teaching teens life skills is of paramount importance. Let’s look at what life skills to teach them and why they are so essential.

Cooking

In every life situation, no matter where we are, cooking has a significant and vital role. Every person should know how to cook some simple things. If necessary, one can also use recipes. Developing cooking skills increases self-awareness and decision-making. When teens realize they can contribute to the household, they become more independent and responsible. To teach your teens cooking skills you can recommend them to find video recipes in English, choose the one they like most and follow the instructions to prepare some meal. Thus they will not only hone their cooking but also their listening skills adding some new words to their vocabulary list.

Shopping

The next important life skill is that of shopping. Whether teens are shopping for food or clothes, they need to master this skill. Ask them first to make a shopping list, compare prices in different stores, then to check the quality of the product and finally choose the best one. You can also teach them how to do online shopping, its pros and cons.

Money management

Money has a crucial role in our lives. Sometimes people get quite a lot of money but they do not know how to manage it in the right way and how to save it. Talk with your teens about money, raise awareness of money management, let them share their opinions with you. Thus you will not only teach them the right life skill but will also introduce the necessary vocabulary on the topic.

Time management

“Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it you can never get it back” — Harvey MacKay.

The quotation defines time in the best way possible. If teens learn to master their time-management skills, it will be a lifetime gift for them and will make things much easier. Introduce them the best and the most comfortable apps for planning a day, among them you can find Trello and of course Google Calendar. Teach your teens to prioritize their tasks to use their time properly. Tell them that creating a schedule, making a  routine and sticking to it will make it easier to manage their time.

Navigating by GPS and using public transport

Another significant thing to teach your teens is how to navigate using GPS and how to use public transport. Start with the common symbols and signs they may see on the map. Show them how they can use a navigator with their phone. Next, introduce them public transport schedule and route. Finally, get your teens to find a place to go and the easiest way to reach there.

Ideas on how to teach directions in the classroom

Finding a job

Last but not least, an important skill we should definitely teach our teens is employability. This will take loads of time and attempts to master. Hence you have to work on it earlier. For a better career ladder, they will also need communication skills, thinking and analytical skills and work ethics and integrity. Some interesting ideas on how to help your students hone their employability skills can be found in «How to prepare students for interviews».

Life is full of hardships and obstacles that all of us face in this or that period. So let’s help our teens to boost all the above-mentioned life skills to make them feel more confident and responsible.

What life skills do you think teens should learn?