When I Grow Up: Part 3

The key to any great idea is what you can do right now to set it in motion. When discussing reforms in our education system, there are many great long-term plans on the table, with clear steps to achieving those goals. Parents and educators must realize there are lots of things we can do now to support our children, while the system is going through changes.

There are loads of books about parenting- parenting newborns, parenting toddlers, parenting children with special needs. What about parenting young adults? We know your job isn't done when your children reach college so what can you do in the time just prior to dropping them off at the university of their choice?

This series of blogs has explored the need to support children as they find a path to a career they love. This blog will give parents and educators some tips to facilitate that process, as fostering the development of a young adult who finds joy and fulfillment in their lives and their work is the ultimate goal for all of us.

Parents

Do you know a skilled craftsman? A doctor with great bedside manner? A creative writer? You surely have friends and families engaged in careers your child may have interest in. Invite these people for dinner so you and your child can "pick their brain." Give that person a heads-up that you want to ask them about their expertise to make sure they are comfortable with being in the spotlight. Most people are happy to talk about their work and share the story of their journey.

Have you participated in "Take Our Daughters/Sons to Work Day?" Have you also used it as a day to hang out with your child and take him out to lunch? Though a great opportunity for family bonding, the original purpose of the day was to expose children to career options and show them that hard work, education, and experience can bring them to a job they love. If your department or role isn't your child's cup of tea, arrange for him to spend time with a co-worker. Help your child draft a list of questions he can ask during his day. Make the most of this time- it's not just a day off from school.

Teachers

Your school may not have a work experience program that sends students out to learn about careers but that doesn't mean you can't bring the experience to them. Guest speakers are a free and easy way to initiate a discussion on careers in the classroom. Be creative in your selections and the topics you discuss. Do you have a Vietnam veteran coming to your History class to talk about the war? Ask what he does for work now and how being a soldier prepared him for his career. Do you have a curator of a museum coming to talk about Art History? Ask what jobs she held before this one that led to her current role.

If the question "When will I ever have to know this?" makes you cringe, you likely teach students between the ages of 13 and 18. I challenge you, teachers, to answer the question. Show them how these skills, facts, and knowledge will be utilized in real-world applications and in careers. Show these young skeptics that algebra, grammar, art history, chemistry, and geography all have a purpose. An interest in athletics and physical education could lead to a career as a personal trainer, physical therapist, or sports medicine. A love of literature could result in a job as an author, a school library media specialist, or screenwriter. The possibilities are endless. 

The most important message parents and educators can send young adults is that establishing connections in your field will undoubtedly help your career. This does not mean you can skate by on connections alone- in fact, it's just the opposite. Tell students that if they are lucky enough to have a work experience program at school or to land an internship, make the most of it. Encourage your children to talk to everyone at their job, ask questions, and pay attention. The more people you know and the better they know you, the more doors open. We have all heard about a job opening through a friend, former colleague, or acquaintance who said "I think this job sounds right for you." By making yourself, your work ethic, and your curiosity known, you have created an image of reliability that is appealing to any employer, regardless of the field. Encouraging children to be active participants in the search for the right career enables them to make educated decisions and creates possibilities for the future. 

When I Grow Up: Part 2

Teachers and parents constantly ask young children "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Firefighters, teachers, and ballerinas abound among the three and four year old set. 

Why do we stop asking children this question after preschool? Why aren't we- educators and parents- exposing our children to a variety of careers and discussing the path needed to get there? After little or no discussion of career path for years, we send eighteen-year-olds to college and ask them to pick a major, which will shape their future as an adult.

Some high schools in the U.S. offer work experience programs for seniors who have completed graduation requirements and have good attendance records. These students are able to leave school for a short period of time and go to work as an unpaid intern in a position of their choice. If mentored properly, this could be a great opportunity for students to explore career options and get hands on experience before they invest their time and money in college. If a student finds he enjoys his work experience, this will shift his college search as he looks for schools with strong programs in his area of interest. 

The key to success for this type of program is the student's placement. It is the job of guidance counselors to make sure students are matched with appropriate jobs. I've had experience mentoring high school seniors and believe this can make a difference for teens considering careers. 

I mentored a young man a few years ago who, though he was incredibly respectful, hard-working, and responsible, had no intention of becoming a teacher. He choose a school setting because he thought it would be fun to hang out with my students. He was in my classroom for the last month of the school year. I will give him credit-he took feedback from me and he did a great job modeling social skills, engaging them in social activities, and even tackling some academic skills. Ultimately, it was a great way for him to spend the last month of his senior year of high school but it was not a life-altering event.

On the other hand, I mentored a young lady last year who was unsure of her career path at the start of her experience but left my class, one year later, deciding on a career in speech pathology. She was able to spend one day a week for a year observing classroom lessons, speech, OT, and PT therapies and becoming a fully-integrated member of our classroom family. Students looked forward to her visit and they were incredibly sad at the end of the year when she said goodbye. By spending an extended period of time in our room, she got to learn the ins and outs of education and ultimately chose a field which she has gone on to study in college. 

Offering students "real world" experience, especially when they are about to go off and study on their own, is the best use of their time. More schools need to take a look at this option as a way to support their students.

Tutor's Tip: Look for mentoring programs in your area and help your child gain experience. Can't find one? Approach your school's administration about creating one!

When I Grow Up: Part 1

I believe there are many good high schools in the US that are preparing students for a four year institution of higher learning. They are strengthening their math skills, guiding them to be more descriptive writers, and supporting their understanding of the history of our world and the future of our planet. These students are getting into great colleges across the country.

We are not, however, preparing students for the daunting task they face upon arrival at the college of their choice: what will they be when they "grow up"? 

We have created a generation of students who are so concerned with product they have lost the love of the process. I believe there is a healthy balance of each but by fostering an interest in process, we inherently generate creativity and passion, which often lead to a choice of career. "Thinking outside the box" in all aspects of life will show you where your child's strengths and interests lie and in turn, will help you broach the subject of career. 

If we strengthen and develop elementary and middle school curriculum, which I believe is happening across the country, we will be able to create room in high school coursework for electives, which should afford students an opportunity to explore areas of interest. The key for elective coursework is not to develop a hobby but to clearly and consistently incorporate a discussion about career opportunities in the field. Teachers of elective courses should have connections in their field, invite guest speakers to meet with students, incorporate meaningful field trips, and provide suggestions for areas of college-level study or post high school graduation job opportunities that will result in a more informed choice of career path.

I would love to see a variety of courses offered at the high school level, beyond the usual home economics and woodshop classes. Cooking classes taught by a chef, child development and education classes taught by an elementary school teacher, music courses taught by a producer or songwriter. Using professionals currently in the field provides our students with up to date information and techniques in their area of study. 

Now this only pertains to schools who have prepared their students academically. What about the schools that are dropping the ball in challenging their students? The ones who have high dropout rates? The ones whose students are committing crimes instead of committing to a college? That, clearly, is a separate and lengthy discussion, one that I will surely blog about in the near future.

Reforming curriculum and courses takes time. For now, you and your child should have a long and thorough discussion about course selection in high school. Encourage your child to take electives, when possible, to investigate areas of interest. Don't be afraid to reach out to the school guidance counselor for advice.

Tutor's Tip: Educators- be creative and be active in curriculum development. Propose new course ideas and revamp old ones to incorporate the exploration of careers for students. 

Career paths for students

Each morning, I scroll through the stories at www.foxnews.com and tweet the ones I think my followers will be interested in. This morning I came across a story about a study that shows the US is doing a poor job preparing students for careers.

Read the story here: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/02/02/study-students-need-paths-career-success/

I was so intrigued by this because I recently had this exact conversation with friends. I believe we limit students by forcing them to take classes in which they have no interest and leave little or no time for creativity and exploration. We send these students off to college at age 18 and ask them to declare a major. This seems like such an obvious flaw in our system, yet one that has received little attention.

I immediately found myself writing a blog, which has turned into a few blogs, as I think this story brings up many important issues. For starters, we need to look at the courses our students are offered, especially at the high school level. Next, we need to look at job opportunities, training programs, and mentoring partnerships to establish relationships and give our students a chance to have hands-on experience before they make a choice that will shape the course of their lives. Last, we need to look at what we- as parents and educators- can do right now to support our students as they navigate the education system.

My next few blogs will be addressing these issues and, as always, I welcome constructive comments and an open conversation about how we can improve the lives of our students.