Did you know the greatest predictor of academic success is vocabulary development? However, the single most important indicator of success in life is social emotional intelligence. So for example if you have 2 people equally educated with similar vocabulary development the one with the better social skills will likely out perform the other. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21017939/
How does this fit in with current educational practice. As far as I can see this information is ignored. Are social skills taught as part of a well-rounded curriculum? Some schools are starting to begin a trend that adds a social justice component to the curriculum but largely we still expect our children to learn this life sustaining skill informally.
important lessons however, were regarding motivation. Often motivation can be compromised because of very real concerns and the concerns must be addressed if there is any hope of helping. Next, self-awareness is not needed in order to make change, but self-awareness does make it easier to motivate someone. These lessons I incorporate in my work to this day.