The blog series, “Micro-routines for Durable-skills,” is a multi-part exploration of how to intentionally teach and validate “durable skills” (soft skills) in the classroom. The posts will be released weekly through October, and we encourage readers to consider their readiness to move to the next step. The full framework, resources, and guidance are available from the Collaborative for Teaching and Learning’s (CTL) Postsecondary Skills Model, including resources like the Skill Identification Credential, the CTL Planning for Integration Credential, the D-F-R-A Credential, the CTL Equity through Competencies Framework, and the CTL Organizational Credentials.
Micro-routines for Durable-skills, Part 3: The ‘Show’
We’ve talked about the “why”—the essential role of durable skills—and the “how”—the small, daily routines that build them. But now comes the most important question: How do we know if all this effort is actually paying off? How can we tell if our students are truly getting better at collaboration or time management?
Without a clear way to see and track progress, these skills can feel like a fleeting exercise, something we do in class but that disappears as soon as the bell rings. For skills to stick, students need to own their growth. They need to see a connection between the work they do today and the skills they’re building for tomorrow. We believe it has to be explicit, embedded, and ongoing.
This is the power of the CTL Postsecondary Skills Model, Pillars Two and Three, which are all about creating student ownership and making skill development visible. We can’t just teach the skills; we have to help students show that they have them, and not just for the students who have an innate ability.
Think about a professional athlete. They don’t just practice; they watch game footage, get feedback from a coach, reflect on their performance, and then make adjustments for the next game. They live in a continuous cycle of improvement. We need to create that same kind of feedback loop in our classrooms.
That’s where the D-F-R-A to Support Skill Mastery Credential comes in. It’s a simple but powerful cycle that stands for Development, Feedback, Reflection, and Adjustment. It’s a process that moves students from passive recipients of knowledge to active agents in their own learning.
Here’s how it works in a real classroom.
High school math students work together to organize their position as part of their global warming debate.
Development: The Daily Work
This is the “D” in D-F-R-A. It’s the time students spend applying the skills you’ve been teaching through your micro-routines. This is where they’re practicing their Communication skills in a small-group discussion, their Time Management by working through a project plan, or Collaboration by outlining the daily tasks the team will be working on and prioritizing help for the day. The focus here is on the process, not just the product. You’re watching them in action, not just grading a final report.
Feedback: Making the Invisible Visible
This is the “F” in D-F-R-A. Feedback is the fuel for growth, but it needs to be specific and timely. Before recording a final grade, plan for opportunities to provide informal written or verbal feedback on a specific skill.
- Teacher-to-Student: During a group activity, you might say, “John, I noticed you were really good at listening to your teammates’ ideas and asking clarifying questions before you shared your own. That’s a key part of collaboration.”
- Peer-to-Peer: Teach students a simple protocol to give each other feedback on skills. For a rough draft, a peer might use sentence starters to focus on pattern identification, “I can see you’ve connected the two articles by mentioning them each and talking about how they were similar. What’s one thing you can do to add your own thinking?”
- Self-Assessment: This is where the magic happens. After an activity, have students use a single-point rubric to rate themselves on how they used the components of a particular skill. This forces them to think about their own performance, rather than just waiting for you to tell them how they did.
Reflection and Adjustment: Owning the Growth
This is the “R” and “A” in D-F-R-A. This is when students process the teacher-to-student, peer-to-peer, and/or self-assessment feedback they’ve received and turn it into a plan for the future.
After they’ve gotten feedback, they need a moment to reflect. You can use a short journal prompt: “Based on the feedback I got today, what is one thing I will do differently to improve my Time Management skills on our next project?” This step closes the loop, turning feedback into a personalized action plan.
The balancing act for this step may be about the teacher managing their time effectively as well. It may not be practical to give feedback to every student, every time which is why having students receive feedback from multiple sources (self, peer, teacher, other) is so critical. Some feedback to students is better than no feedback at all, this is a process that takes time to balance.
Evidence and Ownership
An important way to bring the D-F-R-A cycle to life is by giving students a way to collect evidence of their growth. This isn’t about creating more work; it’s about providing a simple tool that gives them ownership over their learning journey.
A powerful way to do this is with a digital portfolio. This can be as simple as a Google Doc or a folder in Google Drive. Encourage students to collect evidence of their skills in action, such as:
- A screenshot of a completed project plan that shows their Time Management.
- A picture of their notes from a peer feedback session that shows they were able to synthesize ideas is evidence of their planning for a team project.
- An audio recording of a group discussion where they work to prioritize their weekly tasks.
- A written reflection in a journal that captures their thinking about time management and their plan to improve shows their grit and perseverance.
This portfolio becomes a living document of their growth, not just a static grade on a report card. It’s a tool they can show to a future teacher, a mentor, or even a prospective employer. It also forms the foundation of evidence for their skill credentialing.
This is how we move beyond just teaching skills to empowering students to see and own their growth. It makes the work they’re doing now meaningful and relevant for their future. Are you ready for the final step: how to validate and celebrate student mastery?
#DurableSkills #FutureReadyStudents #CompetencyBasedEd #Microcredentials