10 Easy Ways to Teach Soft Skills in Any Class

Soft skills, employability skills, job-readiness skills, emotional intelligence… these are the personal attributes that enable people to interact effectively and harmoniously with others. They’re considered the “bedside manner” of the workplace — and they are vital for all career paths. If you’re looking for easy ways to address soft skills in your classroom, keep reading. You’ll hear our favorite ideas for helping students develop the top soft skills today’s employers need.

Why do soft skills matter?

Soft skills like teamwork, empathy and critical thinking are used in offices and at worksites across the country every day. And demand for these skills is growing.

A poll conducted by CNBC in 2013 found that 44% of employers cited soft skills as the biggest gap in the US workforce. Five years later, Linkedin’s Global Talent Trends 2019 report found that 92% of professionals reported that soft skills are equally or more important to hire for than hard skills.

In today’s post-pandemic world, we’ve found that soft skills have become more important than ever. After all, the way so many people work has undergone huge changes. Career site Zety recently updated their Top 10 Employability Skills recruiters and hiring managers are looking for. Skills like problem-solving and adaptability remain at the top.

10 ways to teach soft skills in any CTE classroom

We asked teachers of all backgrounds how they are teaching these skills in their classrooms. Here are the ideas they shared.

Get more tips for facilitating these activities as well as other details by watching our recent webinar, “Teaching Soft Skills In Any Classroom.”

• Assign group work to foster teamwork. Any assignment that involves collaboration will help students hone their ability to work in teams. Follow up by debriefing. Ask students: “How did you feel during the activity?” “What challenges did you face?” What did your team have to do or believe to be successful?”
• Begin each class with an elbow bump. A good handshake is a skill that can make a huge impression in any setting, particularly a business one. You can help your students start to hone that skill right away by starting each day with a handshake – or these days, an elbow bump or virtual high five. Remember to emphasize the best practices of a polite greeting: eye contact, firm grip/bump and a smile.

See this tip in action:

• Cultivate empathy. Empathy is the ability to identify with another person by sharing in their perspective and feelings. This skill is commonly valued in professions like counseling and social work. Yet it can bring great value to teams in all professions by helping develop camaraderie and trust. You can cultivate empathy through readings, simulations and group discussion by asking students to discuss their feelings following activities.
• Add relevancy with real-world examples. The more relevant you can make your lessons, the more your students will connect what you’re teaching them with their own futures. Ask students how they use soft skills in their jobs or after-school activities. For instance, someone with a job at a fast-food restaurant might share how teamwork and communication help keep food preparation safe for the consumer.
• Incorporate scenario-based learning. Role play is great for many reasons. It builds confidence, promotes self-esteem, and of course, it’s a great method of student-driven, active learning. Classic scenarios include job interviews and dealing with customer complaints. New ideas we’ve learned from educators include debating whether you answer a text in a meeting, or how you spend your time working remotely when you finish your assigned tasks early.
• Practice professionalism daily. By demanding professionalism, you’re setting your students up to succeed in the workplace. The key here is consistency. Every day, make sure your students know they’re expected to arrive on time, come prepared, dress for success, etc. By mimicking an office environment, you’re getting your students used to those professional habits
• Implement networking activities. For example, start a new semester by partnering your students up to ask each other specific personal questions. Then, have them introduce each other to the rest of the class. You’ll get to know your students, and you’ll help create an atmosphere of familiarity. And of course, networking and teamwork are important skills for all students.
• Make intentional assignment tweaks. These days, demand is growing for employees who can adapt to an ever-changing workplace, who are open to new ideas, and who don’t panic when things don’t go according to plan. Intentional assignment tweaks are one way to encourage these traits in your students. By changing projects or expectations or themes halfway through, your students will learn how to be flexible and adapt to change.
• Make time for reflection. Reflection engages critical faculties and allows information to become meaningful knowledge. It also helps build an in-demand soft skill: critical thinking. Try to incorporate reflection opportunities like journaling before, during and after a learning experience. Providing time for reflection will not only help students develop critical thinking skills, but create valuable habits that can help them succeed in the workforce.
• Practice giving and receiving feedback. Peer review and peer-to-peer feedback can be an effective way to help students develop those skills. Plus, it increases student engagement and helps them see the relevancy of what they’re doing. These are important concepts for today’s 21st century students.

To do this in your classroom, consider these tips:

• • Set expectations – it’s about helping, not judging.
  • Use a feedback rubric fine-tune the process and encourage specific suggestions.
  • Keep it anonymous so students to encourage comfort and anonymity.
  • Moderate feedback to ensure it remains fair and helpful.

More resources for teaching soft skills:

• Explore our interactive learning aids for soft skill development, including ready-to-use supplemental programs and activity cards
• Print this free infographic on the top soft skills today’s employers demand
• Get our free guide, “5 Ideas for Incorporating Soft Skills Into Any Classroom“
• Watch our on-demand webinar, “Teaching Soft Skills in Any Classroom: Tips and Ideas for Student Engagement,” to review up-to-date research on the importance of soft skills in any career and learn more about the tips we share in this blog:

How are you teaching soft skills in your classroom? Share your ideas, and the class you teach, in the comments. Your feedback could inspire others!