Real-Life Skills: New Essentials for Student Learning

Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, a teacher of education, psychology and neuroscience at the College of Southern California, stated real-life abilities like self understanding, curiosity, exec functioning, agency and relationship-building are essential to a trainee’s learning process.

The New Essentials for Learning

Montgomery, along with about 150 various other district leaders, scientists, educators and neuroscientists collected last week at a Real Abilities genuine Life Summit to review what host AASA, The School Superintendent Organization called the “brand-new essentials for discovering.”

“We do not have it found out,” Montgomery claimed. “I in fact hope I never ever have it determined, since that suggests there’s no work to do, but we are getting closer to specifying what we are attempting to service and what issues to us.”

Ethan Kross, professor of management and organizations at the College of Michigan (left), and Matthew Montgomery, superintendent of Illinois’ Lake Forest College Districts 67 and 115, review taking care of feelings throughout a session at AASA’s Actual Abilities for Real Life Top on Oct. 9, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
Kara Arundel/K -12 Dive

The work is emphasized via tasks like a blog for family members and teachers on durability and development way of thinking and a Portrait of a Student construct that describes the expertises students require to demonstrate along with academic excellence.

These real-life abilities are “not good to riches. We can not treat them as soft abilities any longer.”

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“We in education systems traditionally think about scholastic understanding and academic understanding as being separate from the experience of being an individual– and mentally and, it turns out, neurologically, that is not right,” Immordino-Yang said.

Integrating Real-Life Skills in Education

“Youngsters intend to be listened to and they intend to be heard. They intend to be respected, attached, and they wish to feel cared for. They want to enjoy,” said Ryan Rydzewski, interactions officer at The Grable Structure, a nonprofit concentrated on children’s successful advancement.

WASHINGTON– In Illinois’ Lake Woodland School Districts 67 and 115, teachers are including real-life skills– such as versatility, critical thinking, interaction and other 21st century proficiencies– into their educational program in efforts to aid trainees succeed in K-12 and beyond.

Challenges and Student Input

Audio speakers told the top attendees that integrating development of these skills right into the institution day must be willful, collaborative and driven by pupil input. The work is rooted in constructing a feeling of belonging and compassion, in addition to encouraging students to take safe threats, they stated.

Rydzewski acknowledged that the job to build real-life skills can be tough and complex. Montgomery concurred, claiming the Portrait of a Student utilized in the Lake Forest areas is consistently being reviewed and enhanced upon based on pupil needs.

These real-life skills are “not wonderful to riches. We can not treat them as soft abilities anymore.”

Rydzewski recognized that the work to develop real-life abilities can be tough and complex. Montgomery agreed, claiming the Portrait of a Learner utilized in the Lake Forest districts is regularly being reexamined and surpassed based on student needs. The districts’ partnerships with students, families, teachers, board members and others are important to this job, he stated.