Is Health Class Really Preparing Teens for REAL LIFE? Here’s How I Taught My Seniors to be ‘LifeFluent’ with Life Skills.
- abigayleleedavis
- Jul 18
- 4 min read
Updated: Aug 25
Only six more weeks until summer break, and I had run out of curriculum. Oops. Welcome to life as a charter school teacher where I was given the ‘gift’ of making curriculum from scratch. After 10 years of teaching I had become pretty good at making things up on the fly, but this time I felt really stumped.
What interesting topic could we study before my students were set free into the real world? Was there anything actually useful? They were definitely burnt out on making posters and Kahoot. I figured I could at least ask.
“Hey class, before you walk across that stage, is there anything you want to know? What’s one last thing I can teach you?”
Silence. And then:
What life skills do teens really need?
“Can you teach us about taxes?” A murmur of agreement before another hand shot up.
“Can you show us how to apply for jobs?”
Wait, hadn’t their parents taught them this? Apparently not. And neither had I.
Between home and school, we’d left a gap. These kids were about to be let loose on society, and no one had thought to make sure they knew what a credit score was. We had failed them.
I grabbed a marker and started writing.
What’s a cover letter?
How do I schedule a doctor’s appointment and how often should I get a check up?
Are scholarships and financial aid the same?
What should I buy at the grocery store and how do I plan meals?
How my health class turned into a class on life skills, aka, Adulting 101...for teens.
We had more than enough material to fill the next six weeks. The rest of the school year became a crash course in real life, and every single one of them soaked it up.
What I thought might be filler turned out to be essential. Not all of these lessons fit under the umbrella of traditional health. Skills-based health is more than the human body, it's about life choices after all. In the end, the most important question to ask myself was this: “Will what I taught them enrich their lives to be healthier and happier?"
Some lucky schools have a Career Class and full health programs for teen life skills after high school, close to 41%. Meaning most high schools do not require students to take a career prep or life-skills course to graduate. This makes me wonder, is it a health teacher’s job to introduce health insurance options and teach financial literacy?
The keys things ALL health teachers should consider when preparing teens for a healthy and happy life:
1. Information is power, and most of them don’t have it. Many students didn’t know basic adult terms like “deductible,” “lease,” or “401(k).” It’s hard to make smart choices when the vocabulary of adulthood feels like a foreign language. But first, we need to know where they are lacking in knowledge. Have we asked them?
2. Confidence comes from knowing your options. When teens understand how to apply for a job, compare credit cards, or sign up for health insurance they are more likely to take initiative. Preparedness is key!
3. Poor decisions often come from desperation. Students were embarrassed to admit they had avoided asking for help because they felt like they were “supposed to know this already,” or they were told to “just figure it out.” Teaching these skills removes shame and reduces guesswork.
4. Without guidance, they rely on peers or the internet. When real-life questions come up, teens turn to TikTok, Reddit, or each other. That can be helpful, but often leads to misinformation or confusion.
5. Life doesn’t wait until you’re ready. Bills still come. Deadlines arrive. Emergencies happen. Teens who have practiced real-world thinking are better equipped to respond rather than panic.
I remember my young friend Preston coming to me after class and sharing that he had applied for several scholarships. I asked him what made him do it and he said, “Honestly, I assumed I didn’t need the money because my parents are paying for school. But I never realized I could use scholarship funds for a laptop or a car. That changed my mind completely.”
Teens want to make smart choices; they just don’t always know how. When I taught about taxes, credit, and insurance, no one rolled their eyes. They leaned in. Our students are capable of so much, but without the tools to think critically and act wisely, they are stepping into adulthood unprepared. As teachers and parents, helping teens build the confidence and skills to make smart choices should be one of our highest priorities.
Teaching real-world decision making is not extra; it is essential. Here’s a FREE Download for you to get started.
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to find out what real-life skills your teens are craving and what your curriculum might be missing.
Teach on,
Abigayle
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