When students can learn to be self-aware at a young age that skill becomes a super-power as it takes them into adulthood. It’s not about having everything figured out in middle school or even in their late teens, it’s about the ability to make increasingly better decisions as they grow. And, self-awareness is not something that students learn through isolated social and emotional learning lessons. Teaching self-awareness requires an ongoing approach by assembling multiple data points over time and continuous analysis of personal attributes, strengths, and interests. 

The key is that self-awareness doesn’t happen by accident. Educators who are intentionally helping students to become self-aware do so strategically with tools, resources, and a program of work that results in a profile and usable descriptions of who students are and what they want to do after they graduate. It’s a really important aspect of school when it’s done well, and more and more schools, districts, and states are moving in a direction that will facilitate self-awareness. The following four areas are not an exhaustive list of the outcomes, but they’re meant to guide schools as they take next steps toward the shift. 

Understanding Who You Are

One of the first steps that schools and districts can take is to incorporate a set of assessments for students in grades 6-12. As students repeat assessments and data begin to populate, they can learn about their strengths, values, and interests (among other things) to begin to reflect on who they are. Because students will take these assessments on a continuum, they can see how they’re evolving as a person. Through the use of data dashboards and character summaries, students can become self-aware regarding careers and fields of study that fit their profile. Lessons on topics such as “All About Me,” for example, can facilitate personal awareness, and journaling deepens discovery. 

Connecting Strengths and Interests to Possibilities

The process of self-awareness becomes powerful when students can connect what they know about themselves to career clusters, career fields, jobs, and credentials. “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is a common question that adults ask students, but the answers are often vague and hollow without the information necessary to make informed decisions. When students use their strengths and interests to conduct research about possibilities, they begin to make plans for their future that are far more personalized and go beyond simple academic indicators. Not only does this widen their vantage point, it helps them to make better decisions about the experiences they want to pursue to test what they think will be a good fit. 

Gaining Experiences 

Lots of schools are moving in a solid direction toward having students log experiences in a number of categories, including work-based learning, service learning, and internships. Gaining experience in a particular career field that matches their insights from above can make or break a choice about college and career after high school. This can save students time, money, and heartache with options that they might think will work but then end up not being a good fit. It can also solidify a decision and build confidence for next steps, such as earning a credential or entering a degree program.  

Building a Personal Profile

As students become more self-aware, they can begin to customize their profile, through digital portfolios, resumes, and other tools, to demonstrate the things that are important to them. This can even include courses that students have taken that align to their personal pathway that signify college and career readiness in a way that a traditional academic plan might not. For example, a student who is interested in a career in nursing might take a course in biology, anatomy, or allied health (when they’re offered) when those might not have been choices without the awareness of the interest or the data to demonstrate aptitude. Not only does this personalize a students’ journey, it indicates to colleges and careers that students have done some or all of the prerequisite work and are likely more prepared than the competition. 

Conclusion 

It’s one thing to say that we want to graduate every student with the ability to be self-aware; it’s another thing to provide them with a program, resources, lessons, experiences, and personalized path to actually become a self-aware person. This is where schools and districts take college and career readiness to another level, and it puts students in a better position to be happy and successful adults. 

If you’re interested in learning more about a platform that can facilitate all of what we’ve discussed in this blog, schedule a demo of MaiaLearning today.