December 10, 2024
This may be an unpopular opinion, but here goes: if we are going to prepare students to thrive in the midst of uncertainty, schools need to prioritize the teaching of skills over content.
First, let me clarify—this doesn’t mean content is ignored. It means skills take precedence. When planning lessons, creating scope and sequence, and allocating resources, we must ask, “What skills are students building here?”
Certain skills demand particular focus. During my decade teaching Advanced Placement English Literature, I recognized that while the content was valuable, the skill of analyzing literary devices was far more critical. However, even this skill, linked to critical thinking and argumentation, pales in comparison to the skills students will need to thrive in the next three to five years.
And let’s dispel the myth: these human skills are anything but “soft.” Leadership strategist Dan Pontefract argues for abandoning the term “soft skills” in favor of “professional skills,” highlighting their essential role in interpersonal and emotional intelligence. Others agree, including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella who specifically called out empathy to say it is “not a soft skill.” Some prefer the term “durable skills” which is a term gaining traction in business and education circles. Author Bryan Robinson explains why: “As the crucial need for abilities such as empathy, collaboration, and adaptability continue to grow, ‘soft’ no longer encompasses the heavy significance of these skills. What businesses and universities are truly looking for are ‘durable’ skills.”
If businesses and universities are demanding durable skills, K-12 schools must get serious about fostering them intentionally and systematically. While we’ve addressed these skills in education for decades, we must do more to integrate their development into the heart of our educational processes.
Through my work leading Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy’s entrepreneurship program and helping other schools launch their own, I’ve seen firsthand the transformative power of teaching four key durable skills through the lens of the entrepreneurial mindset: collaboration, communication, creative problem solving, and adaptability.
When we foster interactive environments for students to work together toward meaningful goals with purpose-driven outcomes, we are building a laboratory for collaboration. Student-run businesses are one of the most effective tools for fostering this. When a team of students launches and operationalizes a business with a clear mission, vision, and values, they learn the necessity of teamwork. As they pass the business on to the next group, the learning deepens. Collaboration becomes more than merely a buzzword on the campus—it becomes a lived experience.
And this lived experience is often born from learning to communicate effectively. Effective communication may be the most crucial durable skill in a time when fragmented communication has diminished students’ ability to engage face-to-face. Schools must intentionally create real-time opportunities for students to practice interpersonal communication. For example, in our entrepreneurship program, students prepare for a networking mixer where they practice making eye contact, shaking hands, and asking curious questions with real adults. Though challenging, it’s one of the most transformative experiences of their year and ends in increased confidence and real-world communication skills.
The emphasis on “real-world” continues through the laboratory model of our student-run businesses, which encourage students to engage in creative problem solving as problems arise (and I assure you, they do arise). Dan Heath, in his book Upstream, describes the need for proactive problem-solving systems that prevent fires rather than just extinguishing them. Imagine students graduating with the ability to not only solve problems but anticipate and design systems to prevent them. This superpower could reshape industries, communities, and the world.
To thrive in uncertainty, students must learn the ability to adapt to changing environments. To best understand how to develop a sense of adaptability, it is worth exploring Angela Duckworth’s research on grit which clearly shows that passion and perseverance toward long-term goals builds resilience. Resilience is the ability to bounce back from setbacks and ultimately adapt to changing environments. By creating systems where students tackle challenging tasks, are encouraged to follow through, and not only set but achieve goals, schools foster adaptability—a critical skill for navigating uncertainty and volatility.
The future demands more than mastery of content—it demands mastery of durable skills. Collaboration, effective communication, creative problem solving, and adaptability will empower students to face uncertainty with confidence and competence. Prioritizing skills over content is not about choosing one at the expense of the other. It is about recognizing that in an ever-changing world, the ability to learn, adapt, and connect is far more valuable than the accumulation of content. It is about creating environments where students develop the durable skills to not just survive but thrive in the future. It is about preparing them for the challenges ahead while giving them the tools to transform the world around them.
Learn more about Stephen’s work with entrepreneurship education by visiting https://www.seedtreegroup.com/ or email him at [email protected].
