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!
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