Developing Student Independence Skills in the Classroom Setting.
Abstract
Children spend their most formative years in the classroom. There is no doubt that
much of their development - academic, social, and cognitive- happens in, and depends on, the
classroom environment. While the typical focus of the classroom is academic, emphasizing
skills such as reading comprehension and arithmetic, the classroom can also be instrumental
in introducing students to nonacademic skills that are crucial to socialization outside the
context of school. Students learn behaviors by simply being in the classroom; they watch
their teachers handle stress, see the ways peers influence and interact with one another, and
take part in building a classroom community. While this implicit learning is certainly
beneficial, without explicitly incorporating these psychological or life skills into school
curriculums, the classroom is not reaching its full potential. Strategies for developing these
independence skills can be more formally embedded in the curriculum and culture of
classrooms in order to more completely prepare students for life outside of school. This paper
will explore the importance of three independence skills: intrinsic motivation, a growth
mindset, and grit. After defining these skills and explaining their significance in the world
outside of school, strategies for classroom implementation will be discussed, as well as future
research suggestions.
Description
Senior honors thesis. Opt-out: For access, please contact: yair@yu.edu
Permanent Link(s)
.https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12202/6073