My LALA, My Life

Ernesto Chuc
English 12
Mr. Steed
May 20, 2016

Education is a crucial component for the future of our society. Because this is true,
education should be pushed beyond the basic A-G courses like Mathematics, English, Science
and History. Careers of today are based on a solid education, but there are always going to be
jobs that do not require the kind of schooling prescribed by A - G. Schools should open their

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classroom to other disciplines: wood shop, culinary arts, personal finance, and other life skills
that benefit a person's life both as preparation for future employment as well as providing life
skills that will be useful everyday regardless of the current college or career path. Schools teach
knowledge, but life requires wisdom. There is more to life than just sitting in a classroom and
schools should be preparing students for that life as well.
There is often a difference between what students acquire in the classroom and the
demands placed on them outside the classroom. When a student graduates high school they are
being thrown out into the real world knowing only how to write an essay, a couple presidents
and some math equations. According to Steve Taylore-Knowles, high school graduates lack key
employability skills. For example, teamwork skills, communication skills and the ability to work
under pressure. If the purpose of education is to prepare students for the real world, it seems
like we are not achieving that purpose especially well. You go into a conference and introduce
your point of view while taking into account the views of your colleagues. You organize your
work and manage your time by prioritizing whats important. You make decisions, solve
problems and communicate with others. And you use the same skills in many different parts of
your life. Your critical thinking skills, for example, are important whether youre studying or
considering a problem at work or thinking about an issue that affects you. In your academic,
professional and social lives, you use a number of transferable skills, and its those skills that we
need to pass on to our students.
As well as leaving our students in the the dark about the skills they will need in their
future lives, we continue to impose the poisoning idea that they must pass their classes no
matter what. A letter grade does not determine whether or not you have learned the material
being taught in the classroom. Grades distort students perception of reality. Straight As are

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possible in school, but not in life. In life, were meant to endure failures then success. Schools
should be sending out students with the appropriate knowledge to make it on their own and if
schools are throwing out students with the minimum, educators are not doing their job. A recent
study conducted by research company YouGov said that fewer than one in five employers
thought that all or most graduates were work-ready. We all know that the world is changing at
a very high rate. The skills we think we can take for granted one moment, can completely
changed the next. None of us can anticipate what the world will look like in five or ten years, let
alone when our students will be part of the workforce. How can we prepare them for the
inevitable challenges that lie for them in the future?
In an English classroom teachers should begin to put essay writing skills into real life
situations. For example, students should be shown how to fill out a job application, public
speaking skills, creating a resume. All these small but effective traits could be of great benefit for
a students future because if that particular student decides to not attend a university or seek an
academic path, they already know how to apply for a job as well as speak up for themselves.
Believe it or not, speaking up for yourself is actually something many people struggle with. It
might sound easy but it is not. According to a study conducted by scientists at Virginia Tech
Carilion Research Institute, if someone feels as if they are not as smart as the other people in the
room, they lose their ability to problem solve and speak up for themselves. If teachers taught
students the ability to speak up for themselves, this would not be an issue since they already
know how to do it having learned it in school. Math teachers should show students how to fill
out taxes, manage a personal budget or calculate interest rates. Although filling out taxes is a
common chore done in all of the U.S, many Americans do not know how to do them! Its a
tedious but necessary skill that everyone must know in order to live in this country. Personal

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savings in bank accounts have become difficult to manage since banks enjoy to scam people with
pretty interest rates and false advertisement. Teaching a young mind of how the money system
works in this country is to their advantage.
According to a Mckinsey consulting firm report, the statistics for students that head off to
college and then find a job are atrocious. In 2011, 53.6% of college grads under the age of 25
were out of work or underemployed. And for the ones that did have jobs, 48% of jobs were
those that require less than a four year degree. 30% of college grads feel that college did not
prepare them for the world of work. This data is disappointing. What is the point of spending so
much money for school if it cannot be made back in the work force. Employers are looking for
those individuals that have social skills and not just the brains. They want someone who can do
both. We need to realize how vital these skills really are and begin to incorporate them in
classrooms. Life skills need to be integrated with A - G courses. Rather than seeing these skills as
an extra they should be looked upon as a necessity.
In conclusion, The future is unpredictable. Children entering pre school now will be the
people running our society years from now. Our school system doesnt need to create kids who
are good at school. Instead, we need to create an environment that engages learners, hones
creativity, and puts responsibility for learning where it belongs with our students. We must
expose them to the crucial skills needed to make it in this unfair world as well as all the
standardized school material.

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Works Cited
Guise, Steven. "How Schools Train Us to Fail in the Real World." Deep Existence. Web. 21 May
2016.
Mindshift. "Why Academic Teaching Doesnt Help Kids Excel In Life." KQED Public Media. 13
Nov. 2013. Web. 21 May 2016.
Taylor-Knowles, Steve. "Steve Taylore-Knowles Explains Why Teaching Life Skills Matters in
ELT." ELT Courses and Teacher's Resources from Macmillan Education. Web. 21 May
2016.
Bernstein, Elizabeth. "Speaking Up Is Hard to Do: Researchers Explain Why." The Wall Street
Journal. 7 Feb. 2012. Web. 21 May 2016.
Gatens, Brian P. "The Power of Teaching Students to Speak Up for Themselves." Concordia
Portland Online. 10 July 2014. Web. 21 May 2016.