Life Skills Special
The importance of life skills is gaining more and more recognition in the education sector. It is widely understood now that a degree and qualifications alone aren't sufficient to enable a person to be effective in the workplace. Instead, it is the interpersonal soft skills that are now the deciding factor in getting work and remaining employable.
In this session Emma-Sue Prince provides practical examples and illustrations to help EFL teachers become more familiar with and understand the value of these skills for the students they teach.
What will I learn?
By the end of this webinar you will:
- develop a stronger understanding of key competences that underlie effective life skills such as optimism and resilience
- understand that these kinds of skills can be developed in others
- gain confidence in your ability to deliver life skills and help others develop
- understand the global skills gap that is currently emerging and the role teachers play in plugging this gap
Speaker profile
1) What inspires and continues to inspire you to teach people about life skills?
These skills are about empowering people to be in control of their lives. It brings me great joy and personal and professional fulfilment to see people make positive changes in their lives and to think that I may have influenced that or helped that to happen in some small way. And the reason I am passionate about working with teachers on these skills is because teachers are the ones who are most ideally placed to teach life skills.
2) If you could have written one book what would it be?
I have already written my book The Advantage which redefines soft skills as personal competences we can each develop. After I wrote the book I immediately developed two-day workshops to enable people to develop awareness of these skills. The next book I would like to write is one for teachers with lots of tips, ideas, exercises and tools to enable them to deliver soft skills and life skills. But it would have to be more than a book – I would also want to include online resources and training workshops. I would also like to design easily accessible life skills resources for young people.
3) What is your top tip or piece of advice for teachers?
To never stop learning and to stay connected to your passion for teaching. It’s easy to get overloaded and overwhelmed with the administrative work, preparation and long hours involved in teaching and to forget about the impact a teacher makes. It’s also important to look after yourself and ensure that you have good work-life balance – these things are within your control and will help you to stay motivated and stay sane!
Emma-Sue Prince is a qualified teacher and management development trainer, author and business consultant. Her expertise lies in soft skills, trainer training, materials design, qualification development and management development. She provides employability, soft skills and education consultancy in emerging economies all over the world and is currently working on large-scale projects in India, Malaysia and in Bangladesh in partnership with the Department of International Development and the British Council.
Emma-Sue is director of a free membership site for teachers and practitioners who deliver soft skills and personal development. You can join for free at www.unimenta.com.