Life Skills

 
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Adolescence, a vital stage of growth and development, marks the period of transition from childhood to adulthood. is characterized by rapid physiological changes and psycho social maturation. Adolescence is also the stage when young people extend their relationships beyond parents and family and are intensely influenced by their peers and the outside world in general. As adolescents mature cognitively, their mental process becomes more analytical. They are now capable of abstract thinking, better articulation and of developing an independent ideology. These are truly the years of creativity, idealism, buoyancy and a spirit of adventure. But these are also the years of experimentation and risk-taking, of giving in to negative peer pressure, of taking uninformed decisions on crucial issues, especially relating to their bodies and their sexuality. Adolescence is thus a turning point in one’s life, a period of increased potential but also one of greater vulnerability KEY ISSUES & CONCERNS OF ADOLESCENT STUDENTS Developing an Identity.

Understanding Life Skills – A Teacher’s prospective

Life skills have been defined as “the abilities for adaptive and positive behavior that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life” (WHO). ‘Adaptive’ means that a person is flexible in approach and is able to adjust in different circumstances. ‘Positive behavior’ implies that a person is forward looking and even in difficult situations, can find a ray of hope and opportunities to find solutions. The terms ‘Livelihood skills’ or occupational/vocational skills refer to capabilities, resources and opportunities to pursue individual and household economic goals and relate to income generation. Thus, Life skills are distinct from livelihood skills.

Key Life Skills

Life skills include psychosocial competencies and interpersonal skills that help people make informed decisions, solve problems, think critically and creatively, communicate effectively, build healthy relationships, empathize with others, and cope with managing their lives in a healthy and productive manner. Essentially, there are two kinds of skills - those related to thinking termed as "thinking skills"; and skills related to dealing with others termed as "social skills". While thinking skills relate to reflection at a personal level, social skills include interpersonal skills and do not necessarily depend on logical thinking. It is the combination of these two types of skills that are needed for achieving assertive behavior and negotiating effectively. “Emotional” can be perceived as a skill not only in making rational decisions but also in being able to make others agree to one's point of view. To do that, coming to terms first with oneself is important. Thus, self management is an important skill including managing/coping with feelings, emotions, stress and resisting peer and family pressure. Young people as advocates need both thinking and social skills for consensus building and advocacy on issues of concern.

The Ten core Life Skills as laid down by W.H.O are:

1. Self-awareness 2. Empathy 3. Critical thinking 4. Creative thinking 5. Decision making 6. Problem Solving 7. Effective communication 8. Interpersonal relationship 9. Coping with stress 10. Coping with emotion

  • Important FAQs:


  • (a) How are Life Skills important for growing minds? We find that behavior does not always follow the mind. This is when incidents of “I know but I can’t help it” occur. What we need is the ability to act responsibly. Life skills enable us to translate knowledge, attitudes and values into actual abilities.

    (b) Why is there a need for Life Skills Education? The host of factors that promote high risk behavior such as alcoholism, drug abuse and casual relationships are boredom, rebellion, disorientation, peer pressure and curiosity. The psychological push factors such as the inability to tackle emotional pain, conflicts, frustrations and anxieties about the future are often the driving force for high risk behavior. Life skills training is an efficacious tool for empowering the youth to act responsibly, take initiative and take control. It is based on the assumption that when young people are able to rise above emotional impasses arising from daily conflicts, entangled relationships and peer pressure, they are less likely to resort to anti social or high risk behaviors.

    (c) Who needs Life Skills? The Life Skills program is a school based program where Life Skills are imparted in a supportive learning environment. They are applicable for all ages of children and adolescents in school. However, the age group targeted is mainly 10-18, adolescent years, since young people of this age group seem to be most vulnerable to behavior related health problems. The program is for the promotion of health and well being and targeted group is all children.

    (d) How are they imparted? The method used in teaching of Life Skills builds upon the social learning theory and on what we know of how young people learn from their environment; from observing how others behave and what consequences arise from behavior. It involves the process of Participatory learning using 4 basic components:
    1. Practical activities
    2. Feedback and reflections
    3. Consolidation and reinforcement
    4. Practical application to day to day life challenges
    What is Peer Educators Approach?

    The peer training approach, involves one teacher and 3-4 student representatives from each school (forming the core life skills team) at the school. They learn these skills through active learning and participation in a session inter school training workshop program. They further train their peers at school in these skills through the same process. They follow up with the main resource team for feedback, discussions, training material etc.
    Different methods that can be used to enhance Life Skills in students?


    Each workshop is specially designed to impart a particular skill and involves all or some of the following techniques:

  • 1.Class discussions

    2.Brainstorming

    3.Demonstration and guided practice

    4.Role plays

    5.Audio and visual activities, e.g., arts, music, theatre, dance

    6.Small groups

    7.Educational games and simulations

    8.Case studies

    9.Story telling

    10.Debates

    11.Decision mapping or problem trees
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