Five reasons to teach entrepreneurship to teenagers
Catherine Whitaker, CEO & Head of Learning of EtonX, discusses how to teach entrepreneurship skills to the next generation of business leaders… Entrepreneurship has gained mass appeal on our TV screens, through the naked ambition of the Apprentice or the trenchant verdicts of the Dragon’s Den judges. But are we missing the opportunity to communicate entrepreneurship’s wider value in preparing for our schoolchildren for the future? Having developed an online entrepreneurship course for teenagers around the world, I know there are many transferable skills children can develop from entrepreneurship training. Here are five of the key ones. The first is creativity. Entrepreneurship requires students to use idea generation techniques both to come up with new business opportunities and to deal with the hurdles they might meet putting their idea into practice. Analytical thinking is the second benefit. Children will come up on day one with ideas such as a music-sharing app but guiding them to carry out research and find out if there is actual demand for it develops analytical skills. Entrepreneurs are quick to test ideas (often with a Minimum Viable Product), learn from test results and decide either to iterate or to start again. This, too, requires analysis but also, adaptability – the third key skill. Students learn to be flexible, to embrace different perspectives and respond to feedback. The fourth skill is persuasion. Gaining support for a product or service from potential collaborators, investors and customers requires persuasive skills. Students need to think hard about what will motivate any of these people to support them, what messages will appeal and how to present their calls to action. Finally, teenage entrepreneurs rarely work alone so the skill of collaboration is also developed through entrepreneurship experiences. Putting students in groups to develop a concept and pitch it to their peers creates an engaging way to gain build their confidence and ability to work with others. Generation Z need to develop core skills like entrepreneurship These transferable skills – creativity, analytical thinking, adaptability, persuasion and collaboration ‒ are critical for rounding out Generation Z’s education. As jobs worldwide are being automated away by technology, our students need to develop the core human skills that allow them to adapt to change with new ideas and ways of working. The Apprentice and Dragon’s Den provide a gripping view of entrepreneurship. For my money though, the true benefits of teaching this subject lie in its fostering of children’s ability to come up new ideas, analyse success or failure and work collaboratively in a team, all of which equip them with crucial soft skills for a fast-changing world. See www.etonx.com for more information on entrepreneurship courses.
How schools are tackling the impact of GCSEs on mental health
With students approaching a new academic year and this year’s GCSE and A-level results just out, discussions have once again been turned to the level of stress that exams, particularly GCSEs, bring on young minds. With the exam intensity increasing each year, levels of stress are also on the rise. The question is whether this stress is a natural motivator, or whether it pushes youngsters too hard – to the point where there is a possibility of developing mental health issues. Childline delivered 2,795 counselling sessions for exam stress between 2018 and 2019. One third of these sessions took place during the exam season months. The most common age for students to seek this help was between 15 and 16, with girls five times more likely to ask for help with mental health than boys. Within this article, we explore the difference in healthy stress and unhealthy stress and highlight that our current exam system may well be aggravating stress levels, as well as the line between stress and mental health conditions and how the two relate to each other. Identifying mental health issues The fact is that healthy stress, toxic stress and mental health are different to one another, although the terms ‘stress’ and ‘anxiety’ are often used interchangeably. We go through stress to help deal with present threats. Whether this is pressure at work, home, or school, this current pressure causes adrenaline to be released and cause a feeling of stress. This is a natural reaction in a short-term scenario. However, if we experience too much stress or if the chemical adrenaline lingers in our bloodstreams for too long, then we can experience anxiety. Anxiety brings a whole host of symptoms with it, including sickness, panic attacks, and dizziness. Anxiety continues to pressure a person long after the pressure-causing event has gone. This can be caused by an internal chemical imbalance, hence the prolonged effects even without a current, identifiable event causing the feelings. This in and of itself can prove upsetting for an individual with anxiety, as they feel there’s no observable reason for them to feel like this. In a nutshell, stress is something we experience when we come across immediate, present threats or pressure. Anxiety is usually longer lasting, and often deals with concerns of the future; it is a response to hypothetical, potential pressures to come. Where stress is a response to a currently occurring issue, anxiety has been considered as an intolerance for uncertainty. When stress is embraced Healthy stress is quite beneficial, but the downside is that its temporary. It is born out of our fight-or-flight instinct, where present threats or pressures took the form of predators more than academic performance! Experiencing stress before an exam is normal. The adrenaline is all part of the body and brain getting ready to perform. It is important that students are aware that a little stress is nothing to fear. It’s normal, and it’s helpful. With a healthy, manageable level of stress, people often perform well. Of course, the key element here is ‘manageable’. When this healthy burst of stress builds and spirals out of control, affecting areas of life outside of the exam hall, then it most certainly isn’t helpful, nor is it healthy. If a student finds themselves feeling stressed outside the exam hall, and that that stress is impacting home life or classroom behaviour, it’s time to look at the issue from the viewpoint of anxiety. Combatting stress Anxiety’s damage comes in, lingers and gets tangled with everything. Often, people suffering from anxiety note that little to nothing seems enjoyable anymore, as there’s something in everything they do that makes them worry more or their feelings of anxiety are so overwhelming that they cannot focus on anything else. Simply ‘taking their mind off it’ isn’t possible. Experiencing jittery feelings and nerves before exams is one thing. But when that worry lingers long after you’ve left the exam hall and starts to extend out into future ‘what if’ scenarios, that’s when anxiety could be developing. Often, anxiety is characterised as a feeling of ‘doom’ in these future worries. The worst-case scenario is, in the throes of anxiety, suddenly a fact rather than a hypothetical. With this in mind, how can schools provide for students in order to ensure stress remains at healthy, short bursts and not a lingering, damaging, and often harmful condition? What schools can do to help Schools can provide a number of methods to help their students in the run up to their exams: • Encourage achievement but avoid undue pressure. — Particularly for high-achievers, the pressure to perform perfectly in exams can be a lot to handle. These students can feel that they not only need to achieve the grade for themselves, but for their parents and teachers or they will risk letting them down. Many may feel shocked or ashamed if they gain a grade 8 in their exam when they were ‘expected’ to get a grade 9. Assure them that this top-tier grade is still that: a top-tier grade, and more than enough to see them on to future success! • Remind students that exams are important, but they are not the most important thing in life. — We’re not saying tell your students the exams don’t matter; of course they do. But make sure the scale is realistic. You want, and expect, them to do their best. Achieving good results here will build a great foundation for their lives. But remind them that a failed exam will not mark them for the rest of their lives, nor will it be the defining of them: let them have a chuckle at some of Jeremy Clarkson’s tongue-in-cheek tweets each year during exam season, such as: “If you’re a level results are disappointing, don’t worry. I got a C and two Us, and I’m currently on a superyacht in the Med.” • Arrange stress-buster sessions. — Learning how to handle and manage stress is a vital skill. Particularly at
Rocking Ur Teens: Year 9 pupil Caitlin blogs about conference
Caitlin McShane from class 9D at Southend High School for Girls took part in an empowering conference organised by Rocking Ur Teens, aimed at boosting confidence amongst young people. Here’s how Caitlin found the experience… On Tuesday 12 March, following International Women’s Day celebrations, twelve Year 9 pupils attended the Rocking Ur Teens girls’ conference, which took place at the NatWest offices, Bishopsgate. Rocking Ur Teens is a social enterprise whose goal is to give young people the skills, confidence and ideas needed for their futures. Stepping through the revolving doors perfectly welcomed us to the corporate world that the rest of the day would begin to ease us into. It seemed almost surreal at first to be given lanyards – something only workers are frequently seen with. The vibrant presenter Remel London (Capital Extra, Sky One and a live events host) somehow managed to make approximately 200 Year 9 girls, who had travelled from all over the south of England, feel energetic. The speakers who followed came from a vast variety of backgrounds and jobs; each of them sharing their unique experiences from the working world. Sherah Beckley, a sustainability and corporate responsibility specialist, spoke about how she went from a sixth form student to working with members of the UN. Her message was about re-inventing yourself – telling us that life is not a single pathway and that the only blockade to success is our self. Rocking Ur Teens leads to Rocking Ur Life! Next came Jillian ‘JJ’ Simmons from Houston, USA, a radio and TV host, speaker and author. She taught us about self-empowerment, the power of words and the social empowerment among our friends. After ‘JJ’ was Nick Howe, a businessman working for NatWest, who told us about entrepreneurship and his speciality in supporting small to medium enterprises. We learnt how to push ourselves forwards towards what we want, and about the appeal of working for yourself and the best ways to do so. A corporate panel formed of employees from some of NatWest’s numerous partners (e.g. Hermes, Sage, Coca Cola) followed. This was one of the most informative talks as we were able to discuss almost on a one-to-one basis with a speaker. We spoke to a lady who represented women and ethnic diversity in new businesses and we learnt how to prepare for our futures as well as receiving wisdom about job interviews – something that we have never really discussed before. After lunch Jillian Kowalchuk talked to us about Artificial Intelligence and how it would affect the future. She had great experience in the field, having created an award-winning app, Safe and the City, and it was impressive to hear her story as CEO of the company that developed it. The Armed Forces then showcased their diversity. This section was presented by three women from the Navy, Air Force, and Army. They showed us how leadership isn’t just one person in control but really just organised methods of teamwork. The day came to a close with a vocal performance by Sherika Sherard, a busker turned music star. Her story was particularly inspiring as it showcased how your world can be turned around provided you remain passionate at what you’re doing. All in all, it was an insightful and empowering day. For more information on Rocking Ur Teens and the work it does with young people, see rockingurteens.com
How Mammoth Memory can boost brain power among GCSE students
Mammoth Memory, the GCSE revision aid website, has been launched recently to help boost brain power among teens. Here, illustrator Kate Ulloa-James explains why students are able to remember more effectively when they can picture their subject… What is Mammoth Memory and how does it help GCSE students? Can you give an example? Mammoth Memory is a completely free education website that specialises in helping students memorise key points for their GCSE exams. Our fabulously fun images and mnemonic stimulus help the brain embed information for those visual learners who sometimes stumble when faced with traditional methods of revision. Here is one of our favourite examples: Think of the periodic table. All of those elements and their often seemingly unrelated one or two-letter abbreviations. Can you bring to mind the chemical symbol for tin or iron? Perhaps not yet, but check out our mnemonics and you’ll never forget them again. Every time you see a tin, just think of that slimy snail crawling out and the association between tin and snail (Sn) will be locked in your mind for evermore. Equally, just look at those hairy feet doing the ironing. Creating that memorable link between iron and feet will help solidify that Fe is the chemical symbol for iron! How did the concept come about, where did Mammoth Memory begin? Leading educationalists recommend that “students should be taught how to remember as well as what to remember”. With this in mind, Mammoth Memory was founded two and a half years ago, but the idea had been alive long before! Dean Hammond, our Director, came up with this concept decades ago after having struggled himself as a student when it came to memorising information for exams. He came across some diverse memory techniques that changed his life and ever since, he has made it his Mammoth Mission to pass this methodology onto others! Is Mammoth Memory used in lessons or as a revision tool? The website has been designed so that it can be used for both independent learning as well as in a classroom with a teacher. We have had many teachers excited about using this with their students to help them with some of the trickier content in their curriculum. What subjects does Mammoth Memory cover? Are you planning to add more? We are currently focusing on building our content for Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Maths and English. History and Religious Studies will follow swiftly after, as our small team works hard to build up our content. We see this as an ongoing project that keeps expanding with more subjects in the future so who knows where it may take us! What is the cost to the school and pupils? Do students need to pay to subscribe? There is absolutely no cost. This website is completely free and accessible to anyone and everyone, which is very important to us! See Mammoth Memory’s website here.