Skills Builder Global

This content was written by

Queen Mary School

Context

Queen Mary School, located in Mexico City, emphasizes fostering creativity and innovative thinking. Our ethos prepares young people to face life's challenges through critical thinking, emotional control, and confidence. For eight years, developing emotional and soft skills has been a priority. We joined the Global Accelerator to structure skill development and demonstrate to students and parents how to achieve and utilize these skills more efficiently.

Overall impact

We focused on teaching essential skills to two sixth-grade classes. 6A worked on staying positive to improve resilience and handle failure. 6B focused on teamwork due to a lack of cooperation and difficulty in meeting goals collaboratively. We observed significant progress. Students learned to recognize positive attitudes in themselves and others, and to find alternative solutions when faced with challenges. They also learned that teamwork involves not just results, but also process, interpersonal dynamics, conflict resolution, responsibilities, and deadlines.

Keep it simple

Essential skills were visibly and consistently reinforced for grade 6 teachers and students. Assemblies were held weekly, with each group focusing on their specific skill. Skills Builder posters were displayed in grade 6 classrooms as constant reminders. We awarded Skills Builder certificates at year-end, recognizing students for their attitude and progress in skill-building, especially those who might not achieve top academic grades. Teachers attended two Skills Builder training sessions to familiarize themselves with the Universal Framework and platforms.

Start early, keep going

We selected Grade 6 students for essential skills study due to a clear need, particularly in staying positive and teamwork. The language used was pitched at an accessible level, allowing these students to work on the skills effectively, even with English as an additional language.

Measure it

We utilized the Skills Builder Hub for an initial assessment of all skills, which helped us identify key areas for the year's focus. The grade 6 teacher regularly updated the hub, using it to track progress and tailor skills teaching appropriately. Following the entrepreneurship project, students used skill passports to reflect on their application of teamwork steps for project success.

Focus tightly

We dedicated a weekly skills teaching period where students followed lessons from the Skills Builder Hub. These lessons provided a structured approach to skill instruction, and the activities offered a strong foundation for checking comprehension and understanding.

Keep practising

Skill icons were integrated into subject lessons to highlight the connections between essential skills and academic subjects. This approach helped students recognize the transferability of these skills across different learning areas.

Bring it to life

Our entrepreneurship project gave students the chance to create marketable products. One team innovatively developed an app to catalogue wardrobes and assist with outfit selection. Students applied their staying positive and teamwork skills to collaborate on their ideas. Post-project, they used skill passports to reflect on how they utilized each step of these skills.

What's next

We are excited to be expanding the programme next year, and we are working on a plan for structured skills teaching amongst several grades of the elementary and Junior High school. Teachers will receive training on the Skills Builder Hub and Benchmark platforms. We feel that all students will benefit from teaching and practicing these skills.

Mexico