What K-12 Teachers Can Do To Prepare Students for College & Beyond

Eliana Belle, English Language Development Specialist and Adjunct Instructor

As teachers, parents, or both, we want nothing more than for our students to be resilient, well-prepared, and ready to take on the world. College is a time of massive growth that can, occasionally, be overwhelming. In my role as an adjunct college instructor, there are some very specific skills or habits that, should students come with, would greatly help bolster their success. Many of them apply to careers beyond higher education as well! I offer a list below that is not extensive but a great starting point for any educators or parents looking to help give their students the tools they need to confidently begin their transition into college and beyond.

Due Dates

It’s important to hold students accountable for assignment due dates, as this will be expected in many other contexts. I suggest having students experiment with what works best for them. For some, a paper planner may be all they need. For others, it may be good to get into the practice of inputting assignment due dates into their phone calendar, with reminder notifications set up to alert them a few days before something is due.

Communication

Communication is huge! If students are struggling with a particular project, or need an extension on homework, consider modeling for them how they can advocate for themselves. They should be emailing teachers in advance (before due dates pass!) to see if extensions are available, to clarify directions, or to request additional help or resources. Being proactive vs. reactive is a huge life skill. Showcasing norms in professional email writing is useful here as well. Consider providing examples or templates.

Problem Solving

As teachers, we know we prefer students to reach out and ask questions when they have them. However, there are times when that shouldn’t be the “first stop”. An important habit to build in students is to first use all available resources to see if their question can be answered or their problem solved independently. In the classroom, this could look like not immediately answering a student’s question — if you know they can find it in your syllabus, a document you provided, a book they have, on Google, or a YouTube tutorial. Get in the habit of referring them to those resources first. If they still can’t find what they are looking for, then encourage them to seek more guidance from a teacher. Do emphasize that asking questions early on, as opposed to waiting until the end of the course, is best practice.

Digital Tools

At the college or career level, while students are continuing to learn new skills, it is still expected that they have a pretty well built up repertoire of digital tools they can use proficiently. Personally, in my courses, students are mainly using Google Suite applications. A major issue I’ve noticed here is that students frequently fail to change the share settings to allow instructors to view their work, which can lead to delays in grading or missed assignments. Having students work together collaboratively on projects that utilize Google applications and build automaticity could really benefit them later on. Emphasize experimenting with new tools/functions or watching tutorials; the more they play around, the better! Ideally, they get comfortable with using these tools and can transfer skills learned to other applications, such as Microsoft. This is important because many job applications require familiarity or proficiency with Microsoft applications.

Responsible AI Use

Students should be aware that there are pros and cons to AI. It can make mistakes, lack quality, or spit out utter nonsense at times. There are also foundational skills that must be built up in certain areas to even be able to accurately determine if something from AI meets the criteria of what you’re trying to achieve. AI isn’t all bad and can be useful for things in more of an assistive capacity, but it should never replace their own thinking. Consider talking with students about your own AI use. Showcase how it can be used as a thought partner. I recommend having AI proofread a document you wrote or some type of project you created, and having it provide feedback. Next, you can go through all that feedback with students and model how you select and approve some items, but decline or reject others. Explain to them the ‘why’ behind your decisions. Let them see how much human input is still genuinely needed.

Professionalism in Written Communication

The final skill I would like to address is professionalism. I know, this is a hard one! It takes a lot of time and practice. There is, however, one habit that I think would be hugely beneficial for students to build in this area: simply proofreading and using a spelling/grammar checker before submitting work or communications, such as emails. It is one small thing that would make a huge difference.

When students don’t use the free digital tools available to them and submit work with frequent spelling and convention errors, this signals laziness or a general lack of effort, even if that is not their intention. They may have spent hours composing an assignment, but if they don’t do that final step of proofreading and revising, it looks rushed. In a resume to a potential employer, it’s a huge red flag that likely will result in them not receiving the chance for an in-person interview.

Grammarly is my favorite tool because it works within my browser, so it edits my Google Docs, as well as my emails, and any discussion posts I may be contributing to within a Canvas course. It’s free and catches many errors I may have overlooked because none of us are perfect! It’s okay to struggle with grammar and spelling, but with so many free tools to help, there really is no reason not to use them. Get students in the habit now of using any preferred spelling/grammar checker. Make sure they always click on those pesky red underlines in documents and check for spelling suggestions. Ask them if they reread their work carefully before their final submission. Encourage peer reviews or reading their work aloud. Anything and everything to carefully review academic work.

With those habits built up, students will be ready to focus on bigger and better things. They will be positioned to excel in a fast-paced and rigorous world that challenges them in the best of ways. Ready to thrive!

Eliana Belle is a passionate educator who has explored many different areas in the field. The majority of her experience has been as a general education classroom teacher for grades K-2. Her current role is as an ELD Specialist for grades K-5. Additionally, she teaches part-time as an adjunct instructor for two local colleges, teaching courses on math instruction, diverse children’s literature, and elementary science. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys working on curriculum and course development, as well as creating and facilitating teacher professional development.

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