Teaching Students Problem Solving Skills

Students need to be taught problem solving skills so that they have something to use when encountering a problem. Without these skills it is easy to react to the problem rather than taking action to fix it. Once there is a reaction of frustration or anxiety it is very difficult to think clearly enough to effectively solve the problem. If you teach students steps to solve a problem, as suggested in The Big 6 article, they can calmly go through the steps to solve the issue. Teaching the steps allows students to feel as though they have some control over the outcome. They may not know what they need to do but there is a starting point. Problem solving is essential in the classroom but it is also a beneficial skill for students to use in real life!