The third H of the 4Hs of the Targeting life skills hands. It deals with life skill activities that are related to hand. This section is subdivided into two parts, namely, giving and working. The skills in ‘giving’ are related to supplying or providing services/help to the community and other people. For example, I was volunteering. At the same time, the skills in ‘working’ are related to doing something physically or mentally in order to live a successful and satisfying life. Earning some money is an appropriate example.
Community Service / Volunteerism:
Community Service is an important skill. It is defined as finding ways and working to improve the quality of life for those in their communities and to serve the public interest. Community service may or may not be voluntary. Community Service is sometimes imposed by State, Judiciary, and school, especially in service-learning or even instead of criminal punishment. In this case, it does not become volunteerism. Volunteerism is defined as doing something for the betterment of others without any monetary benefit or in place of an obligation. For instance, going out cleaning the surrounding of a community is a good way to understand volunteerism. There are lots of benefits of community service and volunteerism. First and foremost, it gives us satisfaction; it’s human nature that working for others and helping out the needy makes them happy and satisfied. It also results in building new connections and relationships. Volunteerism also makes an individual understand his/her interest as they choose according to their appetite. It also strengthens the communities by bringing them closer and building bonds. As a whole, it makes the lives of communities happier and more satisfying.
Leadership:
Leadership is a skill that an individual uses to influence others to accomplish any task or objective. A leader is a person who has a vision, a drive and a commitment to achieve that vision, and the skills to make it happen. Good leadership skills also lead, represent, and bring coherence to a group in order to achieve a common motive. But, this does not mean imposing one’s ideas on others; rather, it’s empowering others. People are not born with this skill; it is acquired. There are many prerequisites for a leader. At the top is effective communication skill. A leader needs to be good at making others understand his point as well as comprehending others. It is followed by high knowledge, decision-making ability, working under pressure, and experience. The more one leads, he/she will understand the requirements of leadership.
Responsible Citizenship:
Responsible citizenship is a crucial skill that is always neglected. Even many people don’t that there is something like that. A citizen is a member of a community/state who has some rights and duties & he owes allegiance to that government, while a responsible citizen is someone who obeys all the rules and regulations, and puts his/her contribution to the betterment of their community, and has a soft corner for the environment. Federal and local governments make Laws for public safety so that a responsible citizen would follow them. For instance, they were paying regular taxes and taking care of traffic rules. He would also volunteer for different causes and help out the poor and needy people of his community so that they all live in happy places. Today our environment is degrading; it is getting polluter every day. So, responsible citizenship also involves taking care of it: recycling reusable stuff, avoiding excessive use of scarce materials, and saving energy.
Contributing to Group Efforts:
Human beings are interdependent: they depend on each other to survive and lead a satisfying life. In such a scenario people work in groups, and the success of that group depends on the following matters: how are working & how are others working? Is there any compromise or conflict? Are there free riders, or do all members give their contributions? The group will be efficient – maximum output in minimum time – if all members are coming up with their contributions and are not depending on others. For instance, if a teacher gives a task of carrying out a survey to a three-member group, it will take minimum time if it is divided among the students. And it will take too much time if only one of the three is working. So, this is also an important skill which enables us to give our due contribution to any group.
Marketable Skills:
Marketable skills are such skills that help individuals succeed in any marketplace of their choice. These are also known as skills that are valued in markets. It includes skills that are specific to any job as well as general skills. For instance, for a sportsman, marketable skills would be talent, leadership, and teamwork. While general skills would include effective communication skills, adjusting to the workplace, and good conduct. All of these skills would make a sportsman a valuable one. Marketable skills can be developed through practice and learning. In a school, a teacher can involve students in activities like group tasks, research work, sports, etc., as well as in-text comprehension. These as a whole will result in improving marketable skills, and an individual will lead a satisfying life.
Team Work:
Teamwork is an important skill for a satisfying life as we all work in teams and groups throughout our lives. It is defined as collaborating with others in a group to achieve a specific purpose. Compromise, cooperation, and giving your best are part of teamwork. Teamwork is a skill in itself as well as it needs to be complemented with others’ skills. For instance, a person is said to be a good team worker when he/she has the following qualities: a) Good communication skills as they are important to understand each other & b) Openness, trust, and support: These skills bring cohesion to any group and makes the objective supreme. Teamwork can easily be developed in children through various group tasks. For instance, giving a topic to discuss or a problem to solve in a group will eventually make them good team workers.
Self-Motivation:
Andrew Carnegie says, “People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents.”
The value of self-motivation cannot be denied as people face multiple setbacks in their lives. Nothing can be achieved if an individual is not self-motivated. Self-motivation is defined as the ability to push oneself to accomplish any task without bucking/pushing any other person/supervisor. Self-motivation gives independence and freedom to individuals. It takes off the extra pressure of others, pushing them to complete different tasks. Self-motivated individuals are self-driven and focused people. This is a mental process and can easily be acquired through persistent practice. It is also crucial to work in fields of interest; otherwise, it’s hard to motivate yourself. In addition to that, always keeping a positive attitude helps teach this skill in individuals.
https://east.education/books/book/Primary-Books/Class5/Class5-Sst.pdf