CHS Portfolio 2019-2020

Soft Skills: Setting Personal Goals

What are soft skills?
Soft skills are a combination of interpersonal people skills, social skills, and communication
skills. In the workplace and school environment, soft skills are considered a complement to hard
skills, which refer to a person's knowledge and technical expertise.

Your task:
From the list below, choose ​two soft skills​ that you would like to work on over the course of the
school year. Do NOT choose the same skills you have chosen previously.

​Common soft skills for college/career readiness:

● Self advocacy​ – Identify your needs and be able to explain them to others; ask for help when
you need it.
● Responsibility​ – You are held accountable for their actions in academic, personal and social
contexts.
● Self management​ – Self management includes all aspects of taking control of your life
including monitoring your own health, eating habits, self care, laundry, finances, etc.
● Communication​ ​– Listen and express yourself so you may communicate effectively with other
people both orally and in writing.
● Teamwork and collaboration​ – Work effectively with others to successfully complete
projects as part of a group.
● Critical thinking and problem solving​ – Think critically and analytically, both in the
classroom and in other aspects of her life, in order to make decisions, solve problems, etc.
● Study skills​ – Work independently, organize work, read carefully, prepare for tests, plan
ahead, use different strategies to practice and memorize, be comfortable writing in many forms.
● Comfort with technology​ – Be comfortable and proficient with online research, e-mail
communication, and various software programs like Google Slides, Sheets, etc.
● Tolerate ambiguity​ – Know that life isn’t always black and white; understand and work in a
“gray” area to be more comfortable and to understand subtleties better.
● Comfort with diversity​ – Be open to new people, different cultures, different lifestyles, and
different ways of thinking and behaving.
● Innovation and creative thinking​ – Be willing and able to “think outside the box” and apply
new approaches.
● Ability to work independently​ – Do large blocks of work on your own and keep track of your
work and responsibilities.
● Ability to follow directions​ – You need to be able to follow both simple and more complex
directions.
 ● Have personal goals​ – Have strong personal goals -- even if they change over time -- to help
yourself be engaged and stay on track.
● Be engaged​ – Participate actively in your own education, expect to work hard, and stay
involved.

What would you like to work on this year? Select two and write your thoughts below.

Skill #1​:
Why did you select this skill? Consider why it is important to you and why you think you need
to work on this skill. ​I selected this skill because I need to communicate more when I am having
trouble with assignments. It is important for me to communicate so then I can express my
information to others effectively. I need to work on this skill because I tend to be more shy and
don't really communicate with others. It's good for me to work on it so then I get in the habit of
asking questions when I am confused and it can really help me in the future.

Name three ways you can work on developing this skill. Consider what you can do both inside
and outside of school. ​Three ways I can work on developing this is to start asking questions
when I am confused, pay attention to my body language when I am talking to others and to
maintain eye contact.

Skill #2​:
Why did you select this skill? Consider why it is important to you and why you think you need
to work on this skill. ​I selected this skill because I need to advocate for myself more. It is
important for me to ask questions when I am confused with the assignment. It will help me more
in the future when I am able to learn to ask questions. I need to work on this skill because I don't
really like to ask about anything even when I should.

Name three ways you can work on developing this skill. Consider what you can do both inside
and outside of school. ​Three ways I can work on this skill is to stay positive, try to engage in
problem solving, and acknowledge my mistakes or to ask when I need help. If I ask a question in
class it could be a question someone else was thinking but didn't want to speak up that could
really help them.

At the end of the year, you will reflect on your soft skills progress in your final presentation.