“Adulting” isn’t so intimidating, now that Greenfield-Central eighth graders have learned lessons that empower them to solve problems and bravely face the future.
Greenfield Central Junior High School students are taking Life and Career Readiness, a course that teaches skills from budgeting to cooking; plumbing to car care.
And they’re even learning about how to leave a voicemail– a skill that doesn’t come so easily to this text-savvy generation but will prove vital in the near future when they want to get a job.
While years ago, home economics classes would teach skills of home; now, the curriculum has broadened to include many topics including how to interact with others in the real world. But perhaps the most important lesson learned is a can-do attitude.
“This class has been a great addition to our junior high curriculum because it enables us to help kids get the skills they need to be self-sufficient as young adults,” said Principal Jeff Cleveland. “The kids absolutely love learning the different skills because they know that they will use them at some point in their lives and it gives real meaning to them. Every time I walk by or pop in the class students are engaged and happy and Mrs. Kolls is truly loving this new role and thinking of activities to help students build their skills.”
Earlier this fall, the program was spotlighted at a Greenfield-Central school board meeting, and students showed their hand-sewn creations and talked about how now they know how to sew on a button.
Last week was “Adulting Week,” where students completed eight challenges from using measuring tape, to folding a fitted sheet, to repairing drywall. They learned about the “check engine” light in the car and how to read a level and hang items on a wall.
Darryl Anderson of Greenfield-Central Maintenance and Operations was one of the guest speakers, offering basic tips on plumbing repair. They learned how to use a plunger, what a pea trap is and where to shut off water– tips that could save them thousands of dollars in repairs or plumbing bills.
Eighth grader Sawyer Chatmon said he enjoyed the week.
“These are lessons you can actually use in life– it’s going to be really helpful,” he said.
The week before, students had learned about budgeting. They discovered how much money they might make in the career field they’re interested in, minus student loan payments they’ll be making.
Another budgeting scenario was more random: they drew careers. Sawyer was lucky and landed a job as a lawyer. His classmate, however, drew a card that said he had six children.
“I didn’t realize how expensive kids can be!” Sawyer said.
Teacher Sarah Kolls said she was excited to teach the new course this year after watching her own son transition from child to young adult. From making phone calls to potential employers to budgeting his income to make sure it lasted two weeks, she said the lessons she learned as a mom proved beneficial when creating the curriculum.
Students started the semester talking about different personality types and, by understanding their own personality, they can resolve conflicts. This will be helpful at home, school and in the workplace, Kolls said.
By the time students are in eighth grade, she said, they’re viewing themselves as more independent and want to be seen and treated as more grown up.
“Many of my students will be driving in a year or two and will get an after-school job to start funding their goals of a car or college,” Kolls said. “The biggest take-away that I’m hoping the kids gained this week is shifting their attitude from, ‘I can’t do this’ to ‘I can do this or I can figure out how to.’”
Superintendent Dr. Harold Olin said the Life and Career Readiness course is important for all adolescents. To become a functional adult, he said, it’s important to have at least a basic understanding of budgeting, banking, cooking and home repair.
“Mrs. Kolls has done a great job of creating the curriculum for this course that addresses all of these necessary skills. Our students are quite engaged in the class,” Olin said. “Schools have always worked side by side with the parents in our community to support and reinforce skills that are often also taught at home. This is one more example of this.”
Adulting Week even yielded lessons in communication. Students learned “unspoken etiquette rules” on how to be a good neighbor, including not interrupting someone while they’re speaking; arriving on time; and giving up their seat to someone who needs it more.
While some tasks in Adulting Week seemed minor, others provided big roadblocks to the students. It was in the struggle, Kolls said, that the eighth graders really grew and realized they could overcome.
“It was important for them to view failure as a lesson to be learned and to grow from that instead of giving up and asking for help from a friend,” Kolls said. “It was a rewarding experience to see the smiles of many of their faces after they accomplished a task they viewed as ‘impossible.’ I hope these lessons stick with them throughout their lives as a reminder of their grit and that hard work pays off.”
By Maribeth Vaughn
(pictured Max Cloyd) Kolls said, “It was a rewarding experience to see the smiles of many of their faces after they accomplished a task they viewed as ‘impossible.’ I hope these lessons stick with them throughout their lives as a reminder of their grit and that hard work pays off.”