Problem Solving
Posted by Anthony E. Steele II on 11/15/2017
I’m proud to say the 2017–2018 school year is off to a fantastic start. Our newest students are acclimating well to our school, and our returning students continue to excel. While our students are immersed in their academic and vocational classrooms, they are learning so much more than just the theoretical skills and ideas being presented to them. One of the most important skills all of our students are learning is one that may frustrate them at times, but is crucial for their success in both their personal and professional lives: PROBLEM SOLVING
Perhaps the most difficult aspect of PROBLEM SOLVING is the skill of sorting relevant details out of a sea of irrelevant information. Sometimes asking the “Five W’s: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?” can help, but I assure you that assessing relevancy of details is an advanced skill that can prove to be challenging at any age.
In the modern world, we’re accustomed to instant gratification and simplicity, but the answers to our problems are rarely quick and easy. Just as students learn to isolate the variable in their math classes to solve the equation, our students must learn to separate the problems they are facing from distractions like personal beliefs, politics, and allegiances to find the solution. Emotions should be respected, but sometimes arriving at a solution is difficult, if not impossible, if barriers prevent one from looking at things rationally or logically. Through class discussions, homework questions, exam prompts, and conversations with friends and family, our students are learning to think critically about the problems posed, possible solutions, and appropriate resolutions.
The undercurrent of problem solving is the ability to exercise the appropriate judgement and make good decisions. It’s not easy; it’s not instinctual; it’s a learned skill that only improves through repetition. But where does one learn judgement and decision making skills? We often learn from those around us. Conversations with our friends and families about how they arrived at a conclusion, what the results of their actions were, and how they would improve upon them in the future can help us widen our skillset and see a different perspective.
It’s also important for students to realize that not all problems have simple solutions. Sometimes there is no answer at all, and such is the case with “epic problems” such as world hunger, world peace, and renewable energy to name a few. Nonetheless, there is great value is wrestling with aspects of epic problems and the resultant solutions that contribute to a better outcome for some aspect of the problem.
Through experiential learning and cross-curricular projects, we are teaching our students to collaborate with others to find solutions to problems with which they may not have direct experience; however, they certainly find themselves contributing to the solutions.
Learning to problem solve isn’t a one-time lesson; it is a collective lifelong skill that is constantly refined. To help develop our students’ ability to stand on their own as high school graduates, we have to let them make decisions and exercise their own judgements. We can cultivate their problem solving skills by giving them ownership of the smallest decisions like what to choose in the lunch line and aid in the big decisions like which career path to follow. Staff and parents will always assist in these things, but we haven’t done our job until our students can make decisions, exercise good judgement, and solve problems on their own.
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