Teaching Soft Skills Doesn’t Have To Be Hard

As a business education teacher, the month of May is always a challenging month. Between state testing, proms, and various end-of-year activities, it can be tough to keep students engaged. That’s why I’ve made it my mission to focus on something that will serve my students long after they leave my classroom: Soft Skills.

You might hear them called “employability skills,” but I prefer the term soft skills because it creates a clear distinction from hard skills (the technical stuff we learn). After nearly 30 years of judging interviews for Miss America pageants and Fair Queen competitions, I’ve seen firsthand how crucial these skills are to success.

CAN YOU TEACH SOFT SKILLS?….YES!

Let me tell you something interesting – I used to think people either had these skills or they didn’t. But I’ve completely changed my mind over the years. I’ve watched young women develop amazing communication skills, time management abilities, and leadership qualities during their reigns as Fair Queens. The truth is, soft skills can absolutely be developed with practice and intention.

In my classroom, I make soft skills fun and engaging. One of my favorite activities is a team-building exercise where students hold hands in a circle outside and have to navigate through a human obstacle course without speaking. It’s amazing to watch them problem-solve and communicate non-verbally.

I’m also obsessed with using an app called Goose Chase for teaching communication skills. Students take photos demonstrating different soft skills – like active listening or teamwork – and we review them together as a class. Last year, one group even made a human pyramid to show teamwork! These are the kinds of memorable experiences that make lessons stick.

Time management is another biggie. I’m totally transparent with my students about my own struggles with this one. As a self-proclaimed “plate spinner” juggling teaching, podcasting, and running a business, I show them my multiple planners and how I constantly reassess my time management strategies. We do an activity called “What’s on My Plate” where students create pie charts of how they spend their time – it’s quite the reality check when we look at screen time!

One soft skill I’ve recently added to my curriculum is ambition. I’ve noticed a concerning lack of drive in some of our younger generations, and I think it’s crucial to discuss how being ambitious (or not) is a choice. I use the billionaire research projects hanging in my classroom as discussion starters – every single one of those successful people had incredible ambition.

My absolute favorite lesson involves teaching initiative through a video activity. A local entrepreneur recorded himself giving instructions for organizing a workshop, and students have to act as his assistant without asking me any questions. They have to figure out catering, hotel bookings, supplies – everything! It’s amazing to see them step up to the challenge.

Finally, there’s empathy – possibly the most important soft skill in today’s workplace. The business world has changed dramatically. Gone are the days when employees were just “lucky to have a job.” Today’s leaders need to lead with empathy if they want to retain talent.

While some might question spending precious class time on soft skills, especially during the chaotic month of May, I firmly believe this is some of the most valuable content we can cover. These are the skills that will help our students succeed not just in business, but in life.

After all, isn’t that what teaching is really about? Creating not just knowledgeable students, but well-rounded individuals who can navigate the professional world with confidence and grace.

I have an entire category in my web shop – ‘Soft Skills / Employability Skills’.

To learn more, listen to Episode 8: Teaching Soft Skils Doesn’t Have to Be Hard podcast. You can stream my podcast straight from my website. My podcast is also available on all the major stream platforms including Apple Podcast and Spotify.