Building problem solvers
I love the fact that our scholars are gifted with deliberate opportunities to grow in their problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
At Northholm Grammar, we realise that our young people will bump into different challenges throughout their schooling journey. Some are inside the formal classroom setting and some will sit outside of the classroom and even out of their school life. Numerous studies and life experiences have shown us that teaching our young people problem-solving and resilience skills can improve their mental fitness and assist them to achieve socially and academically. Indeed, every challenge, every adversity, contains within it the seeds for opportunity and growth. There is positive potential that can be found within difficult situations. As we look to preparing our young people for the future workforce, their ability to gain meaningful and sustainable careers and lives may depend on this ability.
We continually ask ourselves how we can, as educators and parents, best help them? Shall we help them solve every problem or rescue them from every challenge they will experience? I think the answer is no. With guidance and support, we need to help them learn how to solve problems and navigate their way through challenge. The reason why young people need to obtain problem-solving skills is that when they are faced with a problem, as their young lives unfold, they will have a greater degree of willingness and ability to put effort into solving their challenges rather than investing their time in avoiding the challenges.
I love the words of Nelson Mandela: “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
The learning of these skills makes a practical difference to life! The simplest way for us to encourage the development of these skills, as well as explicitly teaching our young people how to problem solve, is to avoid the temptation to step in and ‘fix’; to resist always providing the answers to life’s questions but rather to encourage and help them to find the answers, with care and guidance. As always, we value the opportunity to partner with you in this responsibility.
