2018May30

Skills for success


Merely teaching them to memorise something and repeating it back in an exam has become the starting point of understanding knowledge and is no longer seen as the end result for which you will receive marks. The bigger picture also entails much more than just marks in the exam, it is about success in life.

 Being motivated and working hard is a good start, but there are specific skills that seem to set learners, students, and other successful individuals apart from the rest. I believe that some of these skills that we should focus on teaching our children, includes the following:

  1. Goal setting
  2. Time management and prioritising
  3. Critical thinking
  4. Problem solving
  5. Confrontation handling
  6. Information analysis
  7. Informed decision making skills
  8. Communication and negotiation skills
  9. Relationship networking
  10. Self-discipline
  11. Confidence and positive self-presentation
  12. Positive attitude
  13. Money management
  14. Resilience and creative adaptability
  15. Persistence
  16. Balance

Which skills do you consider essential for success?
Read more about digital reading versus library books.

Marinda Botha

Educational Psychologist

I started teaching in 2004 while still studying. After completing my Education degree at the University of Johannesburg in 2006, I took a special interest in psychology. I went on to complete my Honours and Masters degree at the University of Pretoria and qualified as an Educational Psychologist in 2009. I remained in the schooling system with my role changing from educator to school psychologist where I got the opportunity to address a lot of the issues I saw in the classroom on an individual basis. In addition, I also entered private practice and qualified as a BabyGym instructor in 2009. My focus was on developmental classes with moms and their babies, the prevention of learning difficulties, learning difficulties, emotional difficulties, career guidance, accommodations/concessions and school readiness. I especially enjoyed giving parents guidance as I felt that the parent’s role in the intervention process was crucial for success. The fact that parents often felt left in the dark with regards to their children’s therapy or the education system, sparked this interest on even further. Demystifying educational and developmental issues one parent at a time was very satisfying, doing it on a platform that could potentially reach millions of parents by writing about these topics is exhilarating.

Related Posts: