101 Reasons to Discuss Careers in the Classroom

Recently I have been thinking about my students and their futures.  A few years ago, I taught summer school and each classroom focused on a college around the country to be the theme for the 6 week session.  Many of us contacted the universities and they sent us promotional products to hang up in the classroom and pass out among the students.  Big props to Ball State University for sending me TONS of pencils, posters, cups, calendars, etc. for my students.  These little kindergarteners were THRILLED with all the goodies.  Plus, it got them thinking at such an early age about college and their future.  Now, I highly recommend something similar in your classroom.  Whether you focus every week on a new college or something like that, it just gets your students [of all backgrounds] thinking about their future. Now, since I taught summer school I have not done this in my classroom, but it is always in the back of my mind. 

I took it a step past colleges and focused on careers. I created a product with 101 careers.  The product allows me to use cooperative learning strategies at tables, or focus on 1-2 careers a week.  I made sure to have a variety of careers, so it would open students eyes past "doctor" and take it a step further "Pediatrician" or "teacher to college professor". When I used cooperative learning strategies in the classroom, I would give each table 2 careers to research.  Now, I was at an advantage here, as my students have individual tablets.  You could easily assign the tables or groups careers and then head to the computer lab for them to do the exact same thing.  From that, there are pages in their product for student responses.  They write notes on the job requirements and job responsibilities.  Students, then join their group to share and discuss results found.  Then, tables share out about their job, and we come up with 10-12 careers to share with the entire class.

After completing 25 careers, students can fill out a "Checkpoint" sheet.  This allows students to answer some questions about the careers they have learned about. My premade order gives a variety of careers, so hopefully, every student can find some sort of interest.  But you're more than welcome to do them in any order as there are two sets: one with numbers and one without.  In the checkpoints, it allows students to research a college they could attend to do this career.  My hopes is to get them thinking about colleges, and having them understand to do that job they have to work hard to make it through elementary, middle, high school, and college to do the career of their dreams! Maybe word that differently to them, as it sounds pretty daunting.  ha!

If cooperative learning is not your thing, you can easily cover a few of these a week through teacher modeling and instruction.  Together, you could make a K-W-L chart on a career, and do the research together as a class to fill in the rest of the graphic organizer.  This, personally, does not work with my teaching style as my students are very hands on in the classroom. I try to "stay out of the way" after modeling and guided practice. 

Another option I might try in my classroom to save some time is to add it to my morning work routine.  Students will be given a notebook (to save printer paper!) to research the Career of the Day on the blackboard.  They write information found via tablets (or preprinted resources) about the career.  This would be something I would include as a secondary element to my morning work routine, as I want them to have some grammar and math practice as well.  But this is a GREAT authentic way for students to be reading, writing, and researching first thing in the morning.  Students would take notes, and at the beginning of writing time we would discuss the career for 7-10 minutes and fill out the main sheet together.  I plan on keeping these in a binder for student reference throughout the year.  I am really excited to try this with my students this upcoming year. 

Get the product HERE!

A fun way to have some closure to the assignment (if you just do 75 or all 101) is to have a Career Day.  In the past (before creating this document), we had a career day for our second graders.  They researched a career of choice, and then wrote a paper describing why they wanted to be that job (3 paragraphs).  Students could pick their career of choice, and write a great research paper about the career.  Paragraphs could include:

• Opening Paragraph
• Job Requirements
• Job Responsibilities
• College Requirements (what college, classes, etc.)
• Why is it the best fit for the student?
• Closing Paragraph

A friend of mine sent me a message the other day asking for some advice on writing a research paper on their future career.  The timing being perfect, as this post was sitting in "draft" mode for a while...so thanks, Vanessa!  It got me thinking that there are so many fun ways to incorporate this product into your lessons, especially if you're thinking about taking it further into a writing project.  I think the main thing to remember is to take it paragraph by paragraph with students.  I remember my first year teaching writing---I hated it! Hard to believe I ever hated to teach writing!!  I would be overwhelmed, which would make students become overwhelmed.  There was too much to accomplish in a short amount of time, I began cramming things together which made for highly unorganized papers and a stressed out teacher.  I then learned to just take it one paragraph at a time.  One day focus on the opening---model your own opening paragraph (pick a career no one is doing or a struggling student is completing).  This will give students a different model so they can't just copy you, but it will give them something to follow and a great example.  After modeling, walk around and help students with their openings.  Stop to give individual students, groups, or the entire class pieces of advice.  Then you'll be ready for Day #2 to focus on your next paragraph.  Now, some students will not be ready and others will be ready in 30 minutes.  The joys of differentiated instruction!!  Still model the next paragraph so students can move on, but just pull the struggling students to help them catch up.  Keep going at this until the paper is complete.   Then you can start editing with students.  See my post about how I edit/revise with my students here. 

Overall, this product gives you a variety of options...but most importantly it helps your students think of the future.  If they have a BIG goal in mind, you'll be able to get them to work hard in your classroom to achieve that goal.  To add one more spin on the product, have community members come in to speak about their careers periodically.  Maybe after you reach 25 careers, have 5 professionals from that chunk of careers come into speak.  It will impress the visitors that your students know (or hopefully know) what the the career does and ask thoughtful questions to the professionals. 

Good luck! Feel free to tell me how you used this product in your own classroom! I love hearing how my products are used in other classrooms.