Sigma, rizz, sus, no cap, ratio, mango…unless you know a Gen Zer you might wonder what on earth we are talking about. But these are the slang words that are used by this social media-obsessed, tech-savvy generation. They want information to be entertaining and they want it fast….can you keep up with Generation Z?
Who Are Gen Z Students?
Generation Z, also known as Zoomers, are the first fully-digital generation. Born between the late 1990s and the early 2010s, they range from around the ages 13 to 28 which means that they attend secondary schools, sixth forms, colleges and universities.
📱 Digital natives: Having never known life without technology, and always having a world of information at their fingertips, this generation is used to accessing information quickly and easily.
⚡ Fast information access: As proficient social media users, they tend to favour image-heavy learning resources, and have a notoriously short-attention span due to being raised on dopamine-producing apps.
🖼️ Visual learners: As proficient social media users, they tend to favour image-heavy learning resources.
⏳ Short attention spans: They have a notoriously short-attention span due to being raised on dopamine-producing apps.
🗣️ Unique slang: Like the generations before them, Gen Zers have a language all of their own, with many slang words deriving from social media such as Tik Tok.
If you hear Gen Zers refer to you as ‘sus’ then you know you have more work to do to engage with and impress this generation.
A lot of the traits that we have just listed do not go hand in hand with the education system as we know it – with long periods of time sitting still and listening. Also, in schools, we often favour work to be done individually and for this to be done in silence.
So, how can teachers bridge the generation gap and engage the younger generations without
compromising efficient delivery of the curriculum? How can we ‘rizz up’ school life?
Teaching tips – Old Versus New
Embracing new and relevant teaching methods is part of being a reflective practitioner, and as tempting as it can be to stick to what works, adopting generation Z’s style of communication can help teachers to engage students.
That being said, striking a good balance between old established teaching practices and developing new approaches is vital.
✔️ Why handwriting still matters
For example, although Gen-Zers do most things online, studies have shown that writing things down can allow students to:
- access their memory more effectively
- lead to fuller understanding of subjects
- better recall of tasks that need to be done.
👉🏻 We covered this topic in our blog, which details the importance of handwriting to stimulate creativity and memory.
‘Why Handwriting Practice is still important in a digital age.’
💡 Practical ideas
One way of doing this could be to allow students the opportunity to annotate their work with a pen or pencil, to scribble down notes and have access to somewhere they can write down thoughts, feelings or even doodles!
A place for technology in learning
Technology is here for a reason – it saves time, allows greater communication and provides instant access to innumerable resources from around the world. As teachers we need to embrace this. But studies (and common sense) tell us that using technology exclusively is not good for any of us, let alone children.
So how can we navigate the vast world of tech along with traditional teaching methods,
where memory and deep-learning can be accessed?
Tips for Teaching Gen Z Students
Here are some practical ways to engage Gen Z in the classroom:
- Collaborative learning → Dedicate time to face-to-face discussions and collaborative working between students.
- Handwriting practice → Encourage children to make notes using the written method, to help develop deeper understanding.
- Organisation skills → Allow children to be responsible for keeping their own diary.
- Mental health outlets → Give students the opportunity to write their thoughts, worries down on paper.
- Blended learning practices → Use both digital and traditional in the classroom
- Regular breaks → Do not overwhelm a generation that is not used to concentrating for long periods of time
- Chunking information → So that they can learn in short bursts
- Gamified learning → Making learning fun, and rewarding with games. Mix things up a little.
- Visual resources → Image-heavy learning resources, also use videos to explain key points.
Gen Z in the workplace
Some of the older Gen Zers are either entering the workforce or have already established a career. This is where this generation is coming unstuck, as the need for easy, fast communication has left some of them a little short.
🚨 Challenges
The Guardian recently reported that Gen Z are lacking in basic ‘soft skills’ and many are not ready to enter the workforce due to a lack of confidence in skills such as speaking on the phone and doing job interviews. It is so severe that initiatives have been set up to help some of the struggling young adults.
From reading anecdotal reports on teaching forums, it seems that some employers complain that Gen Z are not computer-literate and struggle to use programs and anything that isn’t an app. These skills are having to be taught in the workplace, as well as how to answer a phone.
💪 Strengths
There are strengths though, and this generation is much better at being authentic, and speaking up when something isn’t working well or seems unfair. They are also much more in tune with mental health, and calling out offensive behaviour.
Although Gen-Zers are used to using technology on a regular basis, they do still value in-person interactions, and working collaboratively is something that this generation excels at. They are resourceful and ready to learn, and are used to self-teaching through videos on the internet.
Mental Health Struggles for Gen Z
Gen Z’s mental health has been shaped by:
COVID-19
Depending on the age of the Gen Zer, the Covid-19 pandemic could have hit at a time when they were in primary or transitioning to secondary school. We are still seeing the effects that this pandemic has had on children, with speech and language levels affected as well as social skills.
The slightly older children have been affected by this too, and this is showing in the Gen Zers who are entering the workforce. As we mentioned at the start of this blog, they are lacking essential social and emotional skills that previous generations took for granted.
Climate change & cost of living
It’s not only COVID that has had an impact though. Climate change, and the cost of living crisis has affected families across the UK, and indeed the world. What we are seeing now are children and young adults who are very anxious, and far higher levels of them are reported to be suffering from mental health issues.
Social media overload
Teaching children to understand how to critically evaluate information that they find on the internet, and spot fake news and filter out extreme opinions such as sexism and homophobia, are very important. These topics need to be discussed in the classroom, and from an early age.
Tips on supporting mental health
Generation Z are much more aware of mental health then their preceding generations. Talking about mental health and neuro-diverency is normal and encouraged. This generation are also much more likely to speak up if behaviour or language is derogatory or demeaning.
How can teachers support social skills and mental health?
📝 Safe outlets: Places to write thoughts and feelings (in the planners)
💬 Regular check-ins: Regular mental health checks.
🏫 Visible resources: Resources in the school for mental health
📞 Soft skills training: Teaching soft skills such a talking to strangers on the phone
🌱 Encourage independence: Developing self-reliance and independence
Final Thoughts
Socially conscious, environmentally aware and entrepreneurial, gen z are much more aware of the world and how to develop their skills to do well in life. They are fun, clever and much more aware of the future than previous generations were. They have a lot to deal with, as the information can be overwhelming that they receive on social media. They are still young but having to navigate how to spot real and fake news, and when something has been sensationalised for more likes or clicks.
Using tried and tested teaching practices can be really helpful but these need to be presented in a way that appeals to Gen Z and in ways so that they can access it. Helping them to slow down and use different parts of their brain, such as making lessons more practical and collaborative, as well as teaching them to spend periods of time concentrating and doing screen-free activities, can be to the benefit of everyone.