-From the Desk of Heather Tuttle, Curriculum Writer-
Life Skill #4: Communicating with Authority Figures
We talked about how homework can improve your kids’ communication skills with their peers. But it is also a great tool to teach kids how to communicate with authority figures. First of all, sometimes there is just too much to do – your kids plug everything into the calendar and see that they have a five-page paper, a science project, a social-studies test, and a math mid-term all on the same day, and that day happens to be the day after they get home from band camp. Whether they have conflicting assignments, band camp, a school performance, or a family vacation, it’s important for your kids to start assessing their workload and admitting when they just can’t get it all done.
“Well, that’s great,” you say, “but what does it have to do with communication?”
I’m glad you asked! One important aspect of communication is giving plenty of notice ahead of time that you can’t get something done. By assessing the workload and admitting they can’t do it ahead of time, your kids will be able to communicate their situation to their teachers well in advance and give them time to find a solution.
Another great skill your kids can learn from homework is the ability to ask questions. It’s never too early to develop the habit of clarifying assignments, which is a good communication skill to have with any boss. Your kids can learn to approach their teachers with any and all questions. If your kids find they don’t understand a lot of assignments, they might want to start talking to the teacher after class routinely, to double-check that they get how to do everything.
Lastly, your kids can learn how to admit when they made a mistake. Assignments get overlooked. It’s a fact of life. If your kids can man up… er… kid up, admit their mistake, and propose a solution (i.e. turning in the assignment late for a lesser grade, or doing a make-up assignment), any teacher worth their salt isn’t going to turn their back and force your kids to take a zero. It’s great practice for your kids to approach their teachers and learn how to take responsibility, since, odds are, that’s a skill they’ll be using at some point once they get into the working world!
Filed under: Learning Tips | Tagged: homework, social skills
