Skills Builder Global

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Speciální základní škola a Praktická škola, Šluknov, Tyršova

Context

Our school provides primary and secondary education to students with special educational needs. We are based on the principle of individual approach and adapt support to the needs of each student. Teaching takes place in smaller class collectives. A specific way of working allows us to incorporate modern methods and approaches into teaching, on whose development we have enough time so that each student has the opportunity to develop according to their individual needs and possibilities. An integral part of school life is the support of a positive climate and an emphasis on the well-being of all members of the school community. Our school is open to new approaches that develop not only school skills but also competencies usable in personal life. We focus on topics of multicultural education, innovative methods of reading instruction, and the snoezelen concept, which supports sensory perception and the overall well-being of students.

Overall impact

We have continuously focused on the development of soft skills at school, but without a unified framework. The Skills Builder methodology allowed us to systematize, structure, and target their development with regard to the individual needs of individual students, as well as within the framework of strengthening the cohesion of class collectives and the overall school climate. At the same time, it brings inspiration to educators for their own professional growth and offers tools for identifying strengths and development areas in students and teachers.

Keep it simple

We are gradually introducing the language of soft skills into the active vocabulary of students. Some concepts, after a joint agreement between educators and students, are adjusted with regard to students' needs so that they are understandable and graspable for children. Individual skills are visualized using pictorial mind maps, which students create themselves and which are placed in the classrooms. We dedicate one month to each skill. The teaching staff supports each other through regular messages in a WhatsApp group, where we share examples of good practice, what has been successful, and inspire each other.

Start early, keep going

Classes of the primary school (with minimal outputs) began to work systematically with the Skills Builder methodology, regularly focusing on the development and practice of soft skills. Gradually, during the school year, special primary school classes and subsequently secondary school classes (One-year Practical School and Two-year Practical School) also joined. We also use the principles of the methodology in speech therapy interventions. It can thus be said that the system of soft skills is gradually being introduced throughout the school and is becoming a natural part of the educational process.

Measure it

With students, we use assessment skills and strategies that they already know and are familiar with. Verbal assessment by the teacher prevails, taking place in real time, which allows students to easily understand feedback and work with it immediately. Within peer assessment, we apply a simple structure: praise – recommendation for improvement – praise; by formulating feedback, students actively use the vocabulary of soft skills and thus naturally reinforce new concepts. Students respond very well to working with emoticons, which are color-coded according to individual skills. This form of visual assessment helps them orient themselves in what they can already do, and at the same time reminds them of the skills they can continue to work on.

Focus tightly

We focus on each skill for one month across all classes. We coordinate pedagogical activities by sharing inspirations and plans in a WhatsApp group. With children, we open the given skill in the form of a mind map and then work with it in weekly plans, partially using the Skills Builder methodological activity repository, to which we set an appropriate level for mastery. We appreciate the progress and successes of students using emoticons or by expressing them on an evaluation scale. Educators record their work in record sheets or file it in student portfolios.

Keep practising

During the school year, we focus on the development of a specific skill in monthly blocks, which students practice across subjects and within project activities. Thanks to agreed visual support, uniformly used gestures, and verbal expression across the school, it is possible to naturally involve skills also during joint school events and project days. Regular practice of soft skills is reflected in greater independence of students, their ability to communicate and help each other. In everyday practice, this means that students can divide into groups, perceive their place in the collective, cooperate, express themselves, and reflect on their own experiences.

Bring it to life

The school creates opportunities for students with disabilities to develop soft skills that they can apply outside of regular lessons. An important role is played by practical training, where students of the Practical Secondary School use skills necessary for communication with employers and customers, solve situations related to work organization, react to unexpected impulses, and learn to approach tasks with a positive attitude. Similar experiences are gained during project-based learning, thematic days, meetings with people from practice, or visits to companies and organizations that support independence, responsibility, and entrepreneurship. Skills such as cooperation, listening, expressing one's own thoughts, or managing emotions are also developed during joint activities with parents, which naturally connect school learning with everyday life and strengthen relationships and the ability to function in a social environment.

What's next

From September 2025, we would like to continue with the implementation of soft skill development across the entire school. Our goal is to deepen already acquired skills and, in line with the possibilities of students, further expand them with new steps. We are building on this year's cooperation with lecturers from Schola Empirica and would like to continue it next year, including the involvement of supervision as support for teachers.

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