Really, problems are all around is in life. Because we are older than our students, this does not mean we have problems and they don’t. In fact, even the smallest toddler can be faced with problems of working and managing their toys or playing with friends or siblings. Being able to identify that something is a problem, then think through various options until a good solution is found and applied, is a life skill we all can benefit from and use. It is true that older students may have more complicated problems and some subject areas may be more intricate in their problem solving than others. The realty, however, remains: problems are all around us and the sooner we can solve those problems, the sooner we can continue with life and move ahead.
Big Life Journal explains that, while everyone can benefit from problem solving skills, and we all should have the opportunity to learn these skills, regardless of age, there are some approaches that work best with different ages. They suggest some examples as follows (please see the site for the full explanations):
You may already know of other sources that provides these kinds of examples. The point is, we shouldn’t preclude young children from problem solving, rather we should be creative about the ways in which we present opportunities for students of all ages to benefit from and develop problem-solving skills.
Consider for a few minutes, how problem-solving opportunities in your life have helped you through various situations and have also presented you with new ideas and information you would not otherwise have had. Now think about your own educational journey. Do you remember being given the opportunity to identify problems within a topic or a series of facts or information, then being offered the opportunity to continue a problem-solving process of learning and discovery? Do you remember the outcome? Was it beneficial to your overall learning? Problem solving is often what makes learning much more interesting and even useful in real life.
TIP: Every student should have the opportunity to develop problem-solving skills.
Coming up next, “Some academic subjects don’t lend themselves to developing problem solving skills.” Stay tuned...