School to Work Unit 1

Knowledge of the student's strengths and weaknesses as well as motivation for employment will help shape realistic vocational goals. In this unit students explore their interests, skills, abilities, values, learning styles, and occupational preferences through a variety of inventories and activities.

Information compiled from these activities go in the students STW notebooks/portfolios.

Other additions to this unit could be: photos of the students at their jobs and job descriptions, awards or recognitions: honor roll, special Olympics metals, school awards, other sports, and citizenship awards.

Interest- What you like to do. (curiosity, entertain, amuse, occupy, recreation)

Ability/Skill- talent, aptitude, knowledge, understanding. Skills can be gained by practice.

More text on Interest/Abilities/Skills

 

NH Curriculum Standards - Career Learning

Curriculum Standard 4. The student will develop characteristics and behaviors necessary for success in school, work, and everyday settings.

• Identify and appreciate individual characteristics and differences (i.e., likes, dislikes, interests, abilities, skills, etc.). curriculum standard 4- end of 4th

Curriculum Standard 7: Students will understand the relationship between individual qualities, education and training, and the world of work.

• Develop an individual educational and career plan that integrates interests, abilities, and skills, supports the identification of one or more career pathways, and that includes tentative decisions and planning for high school and beyond. curriculum standard 7- end of 8th

• Evaluate the relationship between their individual interests, abilities, and skills and achieving individual, social, educational, and career goals. curriculum standard 7- end of 10 th

Objectives:

• will complete activities in the area of exploring personal interests, values, skills, and abilities related to employment and will file his/her work in her vocational notebook/portfolio for reference.
• will complete activities to identify personal characteristics related to work and occupational groups for exploration.
• LCCE competencies for this unit.

Self Awareness Activities

1. Interest inventories:

• Interest Inventory: 13 one word or short answer questions (middle/high school level)
• Interest Inventory- 18 questions- good for grade levels K-8
• About Me- self rating/ survey- ex.kind, friendly, hard worker, creative,...

• Provide support for reading and writing as necessary.
• Information gained from these inventories can be used as motivational material for other activities

2. My Preferences- This  inventory asks a students about their preferred learning styles in the areas of perceptual preference, group size, test taking, materials/methods, and environment.

3. Abilities Inventory ( from LCCE)- students rate themselves strong, average or weak to a list of general abilities (i.e.. playing sports, running, science, writing, being on time, goal setting, relating to others, sewing, cooking....)

4. Survey of occupational characteristics- 25 questions in which the student must make a choice as to which work related characteristic comes closest to describing the work situation that they would like to be in. Answers are compiled to a list which becomes a profile to compare jobs to for compatibility.

5. CDM- Career Decision Making Survey , published by AGS, easy to use, hand scored survey. - see STW curriculum materials

6. Why Work Anyway- Fifteen personal statements, ask students whether the reason for working is due to psychological, social or economic reasons. This comparison can be referred to throughout the year when the reasons people choose their jobs are discussed.

7. My Ideal Job- Eight questions create a profile of the students ideal job. Expected wage is a difficult question for students. Use the Boston Sunday Globe Parade magazine article " What People Earn" to give the students an idea about what kind of salaries people earn or something similar.

8. Plan a job shadow experience and/or field trips they would like to take to learn more about a job they are interested in. Use the yellow pages of phone books and the Internet to find information on businesses and other places of employment. Students are encouraged to take part in the planning process of  field trips.