Career Guidance 9: Activity Guide - Module 2: Life Career Management Skills

Life Career Management Skills

Activity 1: My Personal Work

Habits

Foundational Objective: Knowledge, skills, and attitudes to establish good work and study habits.

Learning Objectives:

The student will:

evaluate work habits he/she possesses.
describe a plan of action for increasing basic educational skills.
describe the relationship of personal attitudes, beliefs, abilities, and skills to occupations.
demonstrate personal qualities that are needed to get and keep jobs.

C.E.L.s: COM, CCT, IL, PSVS

Materials:

pen or pencil
handout No. 1 "Study Habits Checklist"
chalkboard
handout No. 2 "Work Habits Inventory"
chalk

Time: One - two class periods.

Activity:

Have students complete the "Study Habits Checklist" handout.
Explain that the purpose of the checklist is to help identify strong areas and areas where students may need to improve their study habits.
Ask students to share their strengths and how they use them to complete their assignments and to learn new material.
Have each student identify a study skill for improvement. Ask the class to identify and discuss ways in which these study skills may be improved.
Have each student develop a plan for improving a selected study skill. Develop a contract with the student.
Brainstorm with students some of the personal habits necessary to get along with others on the job. Discuss the meaning of the various ideas presented.
Distribute the "Work Habits Inventory" (review the content so that students know all terms used). Have students complete the "Work Habits Inventory" handout.
Discuss how they felt about their self-evaluation. What areas would they like to strengthen?
In small groups, have students make a list (on poster paper) of "Strategies for School Success" to be displayed around the classroom.

Additional Activities:

Participate in a Job Shadowing or Work Experience Program.

Have students identify qualities from their "Work Habits Inventory" handout that need the most improvement. Have students select one personal work habit that needs improving and develop a plan of action.

Discussion and activity related to intrinsic and extrinsic rewards.

Evaluation:

Resources:

Student evaluation: A teacher's handbook, learning contracts (p. 54-58), Saskatchewan Education, Training, and Employment, 1991.

For printing and copying this template Requires Acrobat Reader (click on the table title)

Study Habits Checklist

Never
Sometimes Often/Always

I am able to take notes during lectures, films, or speeches.

I can take notes while reading.

I have difficulties with pronouncing words.

I can read, but I do not understand what I am reading.
My major trouble seems to be that I can't get interested in the material I have to learn.

I understand what I read, but it seems that I can't remember the material.
I am organized, and I plan my assignments ahead of time.

Whenever I sit down to study, my mind wanders from the material I am supposed to study.

I can stand in front of a group of people and speak or recite a poem.
When I read, I seem to recognize single letters and words instead of whole phrases.
Whenever I start a test, I never second question. Usually I know the answers, but it feels as if I am "stuck".

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Grade 9 Module: Life Career Management Skills
Handout No. 1 "Study Habits Checklist"

Study Habits Checklist (continued)

Never
Sometimes Often/Always

My reading is handicapped by not knowing difficult words. This slows down my reading.
I believe I know the meaning of most of the words I read, but defining them is quite another thing. I seem to grope for the right words but can't express them.
Whenever I read aloud fast, I seem to reverse words like "saw" for "was." I do not seem to notice, but others have told me.
I seldom seem to recall what I have read. I do remember small, minute details, but I miss out on the meaning of the whole passage or story.
The moment I see a book, I feel tired and worn out. This never happens to me in the yard or outdoors, just in connection with reading material.
Soon after I start to read, my vision becomes blurred.
Radio or T.V. bothers me while I am studying.
I look up new words in a dictionary only if I run across one in my assignments.
If I want to be alone and study, a separate or private room is available at home for this purpose.

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Source: Developmental guidance classroom activities, Vocational Studies Centre, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1991. Reprinted with permission.

Grade 9 Module: Life Career Management Skills
Handout No. 1 "Study Habits Checklist" For printing and copying this template Requires Acrobat Reader (click on the table title)

Work Habits Inventory

Directions: Carefully read the descriptions given for each of the qualities listed below. Then place a check mark on the blank next to the statement which, in your opinion, most accurately describes you.

COOPERATION (ability to get along with others)
___ I work against rather than with others
___ I find it difficult to get along with others
___ I usually get along with others
___ I get along with others
___ I get along well with others, I am friendly and helpful
INITIATIVE (tendency to go ahead)
___ I need to have repeated instruction
___ I need to be urged to do things
___ I do routine work acceptably
___ I am fairly resourceful, do well by myself
___ I am resourceful, look for things to learn and do
COURTESY
___ I am often discourteous to others
___ I am sometimes not courteous in action or speech
___ I am usually courteous and considerate of others
___ I am considerate and courteous of others
___ I am always very courteous and considerate
ATTITUDE TOWARD CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
___ I resent any criticism
___ I do not pay much attention to criticism
___ I accept constructive criticism and try to change
___ I accept constructive criticism and improve greatly
SUPERVISION
___ I usually need constant supervision to complete routine tasks
___ I need frequent supervision to complete routine tasks
___ I need occasional supervision while doing routine tasks
___ I need little supervision while doing routine tasks
___ I do not need supervision while doing routine tasks
ACCURACY OF WORK
___ I am very careless about my work
___ I am frequently inaccurate and careless
___ I make errors; I show average care, thoroughness and neatness
___ I make few errors; I am careful, thorough, and neat
___ I seldom make errors and do work of very high quality.

Grade 9 Module: Life Career Management Skills
Handout No. 2 "Work Habits Inventory"

Work Habits Inventory (continued)

WORK ACCOMPLISHED
___ I am very slow; output is unsatisfactory
___ I am slower than average; output is mediocre
___ I work with ordinary speed; output is generally satisfactory
___ I work rapidly; output is above average
___ I am fast and efficient; output is well above average
TIME USAGE
___ I waste time and need to be prodded along
___ I waste time and need some supervision
___ I waste time occasionally but am usually reliable
___ I seldom waste time and am reliable
___ I am industrious and concentrate very well
ADAPTABILITY
___ I can't adjust to change
___ I have difficulty adapting to new situations
___ I adjust to change after instruction
___ I adjust to change readily
___ I find it pleasant to adapt and meet changes
PERSONAL APPEARANCE (neatness and personal care)
___ I am careless about my appearance
___ I sometimes neglect my appearance
___ I make an effort to improve my appearance
___ I care about my appearance; I look neat most of the time
___ I am extremely careful about my appearance; I look very neat all of the time
ATTENDANCE (school work, or organizations to which I belong)
___ I am frequently absent
___ I am not regular enough in attendance
___ I am average in my attendance
___ I am almost always in attendance
___ I am never absent except for an unavoidable emergency
PUNCTUALITY
___ I am frequently tardy
___ I am very often tardy
___ I could improve my punctuality
___ I am seldom tardy
___ I am never tardy except for an unavoidable emergency

Source: Developmental guidance classroom activities, Vocational Studies Centre, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1991. Reprinted with permission.

Grade 9 Module: Life Career Management Skills
Handout No. 2 "Work Habits Inventory"

Activity 2: Making Decisions and Coping With Obstacles

Foundational Objectives:

Awareness of and knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to make appropriate decisions.
Awareness and understanding of the occupational planning process.

Learning Objectives:

The student will:

identify factors that affect choices.

identify possible outcomes of decisions.

identify and assess problems that interfere with attaining goals.

describe how the expectations of others affect occupational planning

C.E.L.s: COM, CCT, IL, PSVS

Materials:

pen or pencil
handout No. 3 "Influences on Decisions"
student journals
handout No. 4 "Identifying My Own Obstacles"

Time: Two - three class periods. You may choose to break these activities into two distinct sessions: Session 1 (#1-4) and Session 2 (#5-7).

Activity:

Have students form groups and discuss the following questions in regard to situations in Step No. 2.
(a) How will this decision affect my happiness and well-being?
(b) How will this decision affect my occupational choice?
(c) How will this decision affect the lives of my family or other significant people in my life?
(d) How will this decision affect me in my current situation?
Have students discuss the following situations:
(a) Personal/Social
- Should I get married?
- Should I leave home after graduation?
- Should I be thinking of the future now?
(b) Educational/Career
- What career should I choose?
- Should I go to university, college, or a technical institute?
- Should I choose work for money or because I enjoy it?
(c) Health/Safety
- Should I drink or smoke?
- What kind of foods should I eat?
(d) Everyday Decisions
- Should I do my homework or go out with my friends?
- Should I tell a friend that he or she is getting on my nerves?
Have students individually respond to these questions as a homework assignment.
Have students read "Influences on Decisions".
Ask students to identify a decision presently facing them (e.g., what courses to take in school, what occupations to consider, etc.).
Have students list internal and external obstacles that prevent them from making their decisions using the "Identifying My Own Obstacles" activity handout.
Discuss whether the obstacles identified are real or only misconceptions which can be changed. Have students suggest ways in which they can change or cope with the misconceptions or attitudes involved.

Additional Activities:

Explore decision-making models and processes.

Students could create a dance or piece of music which illustrates:
(a)a decision that went well/poorly.
(b)the tensions/pressures/stresses involved in the decision to stay in school/leave school early.

Evaluation:

Resources:

Succeeding in the world of work, Kimbrell & Vineyard, Glenco Publishing Co., 1986.

Influences on Decisions

Most people experience obstacles when making decisions. Identifying the particular obstacles that you face is the first step to overcoming those obstacles.

Decision-making does not happen in a vacuum. Your decisions have an impact on your life; likewise, your life situation influences what decisions you make and how you make them.

The society in which you grow up, your family background, your present family, your peers, and the way you feel about yourself all influence the decisions that you make. Sometimes these factors make decision-making easier. For instance, a friend who encourages you may help build your confidence and, therefore, make the final decision less difficult.

However, society, family, peers, and feelings about yourself also act as obstacles to decision-making. For example, many girls would like to pursue careers that are traditionally considered to be a male occupation such as law, engineering, etc. Rather than giving it very serious thought, they tend to dismiss the idea. This might be due to family and peer pressure, and feelings about themselves such as, lack of self-confidence, fear of failure, and age, race and sex role stereotyping.

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"I would like to change jobs, but I have my family to think about."

"The reason I haven't made a decision is because I'm afraid and I know it."

"What I would really like to be is a lawyer, but I've given up on that because I know it's so hard for women to succeed in law."

"I do not know whether I'm going to apply for that job or not. Besides, they're not going to choose a black person."

"I'm not really qualified to do that kind of job and I'm too old to get more training."

Many of the preceding statements describe something you have heard people say or maybe even something you have said or felt. It is likely that you identify with a number of these statements. They represent some of the most common obstacles that people face when making career-related decisions.

An obstacle to a satisfying decision is anything or anyone that prevents you from adequately considering all of the alternatives. For example, one of the persons said, "I'm to old to start something new". When looking for a job, this person might not even consider some positions for which he or she is well qualified. Age stereotyping prevents this person from considering all the possible alternatives.

Obstacles can be divided into two general categories: internal and external. Internal obstacles may include some of your feelings. For example, in one of the quotes above, the person was afraid to make a decision. For this individual, fear was an internal obstacle. External obstacles are those that originate in the person's environment, such as family responsibilities, and age, race and sex discrimination. While these external obstacles are sometimes very real, they are often used as excuses. Thus, individuals put off making a decision to avoid taking risks. However, putting off making a decision is actually a decision not to make a decision even though individuals may avoid recognizing the fact.

Source: Developmental guidance classroom activities, Vocational Studies Centre, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1991. Reprinted with permission.

Grade 9 Module: Life Career Management Skills
Handout No. 3 "Influences on Decisions"

For printing and copying this template Requires Acrobat Reader (click on the table title)

Identifying My Own Obstacles

Directions: Read through the following lists of internal and external obstacles to satisfying decision-making. Check the obstacles that you think are preventing you from facing your decision. Remember, an obstacle to a satisfying decision is anything or anyone that causes you not to adequately consider all of the alternatives.

INTERNAL OBSTACLES

___ Fear of making the wrong decision

___ Fear of taking a risk

___ Fear of failure

___ Fear of change

___ Lack of self-confidence

___ Ambivalence (that is, having conflicting feelings about the decision)

___ Procrastination (putting things off)

___ Stereotyping about self and others with respect to age, race, and sex (e.g., I can't do that, I am too old! or I'm black or I'm a man or I'm a woman)

EXTERNAL OBSTACLES

___ Family expectations and responsibilities (e.g., pay the bills, cook the meals, pressure to go into a specific career, etc.)

___ Societal stereotyping with respect to age, race and sex (e.g., you can't do that, you're too old! or you're black or you're a woman or you're a man)

___ Other societal expectations (e.g., to conform, to make increasingly more money, to be successful, to be a good parent, etc.)

Source: Developmental guidance classroom activities, Vocational Studies Centre, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1991. Reprinted with permission.

Grade 9 Module: Life Career Management Skills
Handout No. 4 "Identifying My Own Obstacles"

Activity 3: Choosing An Occupation to Meet Life Career Goals

Foundational Objectives:

Awareness of and knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to set goals and to make appropriate decisions.
Awareness and knowledge of the interrelationship of life roles.
Awareness and understanding of the career planning process.
Awareness and understanding of the life career concept.

Learning Objectives:

The student will:

identify occupational directions as they relate to life career goals.
identify ways in which decisions about education and work relate to other major life decisions.

C.E.L.s: COM, CCT, IL, PSVS, TL

Materials:

pen or pencil
student journal

Time: One class period.

Background Information:

A career means more than just an occupation. One should be thinking of a life career - a term which means every part of students' development and growth from childhood through to teenage years into adult life. A career is made up of all the things students do and the roles they fill such as student, friend, son, daughter, babysitter, trapper, track team member, etc. All of these roles make up a life career. Students' life career goals, then, can be to achieve a certain occupation (such as a teacher, farmer, prospector); to be a mother/father one day; to run a marathon and/or to be a community volunteer. All are life career goals and everything individuals do is interrelated.

Activity:

Have students discuss the idea of life career goals.
(a) What does the term mean?
(b) What are some examples of life career goals?
After several examples have been cited, have students tentatively select one life goal. Using the selected life goal, ask students to identify an occupation(s) that would facilitate their obtaining that life goal.
Have students share with the group their life career goal and the occupations they identified. Ask students to relate how they identified these occupations and how they think their occupations will help them meet their life career goal.
Have students role play an occupation that they might consider in the future.
Have students complete the following statements in their journals:
One of my life career goals is ...
I found out that ...

Additional Activities:

Students at this age may be contemplating the possibility of dropping out of school before entering high school. The following activities may provide some support for these students.

Students can create an advertising campaign. Visual displays such as banners and posters can be created to promote "Staying in School" or the antithesis "Leaving School". Students should be encouraged to incorporate learnings from the unit (i.e., learning styles, roles, relationships, problem solving, decision making, goal setting, social pressures). Other advertising alternatives include writing and presenting commercials. These may be aired through the school intercom system or video-taped.

A panel discussion/forum may be planned and organized by the students. Guests may include representatives from businesses, parents, teachers, students who were early school leavers, students who completed high school, school administration, and students. Possible questions to explore:

In what ways might school respond to needs of students who may be potential "dropouts"?

How does the role of the school compliment/interfere with student needs?

Evaluation:

Resources:

Adapted from: Developmental guidance classroom activities, Vocational Studies Centre, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1991.

Activity 4: Change Is Inevitable - Growth Is Optional

Foundational Objective: Awareness of change and knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to cope with life transitions.

Learning Objectives:

The student will:

identify feelings associated with change in one's life.
identify how a person changes during a lifetime (physical, psychological, social, emotional).

C.E.L.s: COM, CCT, IL, PSVS, NUM

Materials:

pen or pencil
chart paper
student journal
felt pens

Time: Two class periods.

Background Information:

It has often been predicted that people entering the labour force today will change occupations at least four times during their working life. Some of this change will be involuntary as plant closures, corporate mergers, and technological change alter the nature of the workplace; however, much of this change will be voluntary. It is no longer expected that people will hold one occupation for their entire life. Students who anticipate change and have thought about strategies for coping with such change will be better equipped for the world of tomorrow.

Activity:

Have students describe a change in their lives and write about it in their journals. How did they react? How did they wish they had reacted? How has this change made a difference in their lives?
Brainstorm a list of changes that occur; for example, family structure, location, economic stability, personal (physical, social, global, death, etc.). Divide the brainstorm list into two parts: things they can control and things they cannot control.
Brainstorm another list about ways people usually respond to change. Decide if these responses are negative or positive.
Discuss how careers have changed over the last decade. How have people responded?
Have students (in small groups) write a poem, story, or song or create a drama tableau about change. The Arts Education and Social Studies curricula for Grade 9 also address the concept of change. Integrating other subject areas with Career Guidance activities supports students in making connections and in transferring knowledge across subject areas. Such integration also allows students to draw upon prior knowledge and to experience various ways of learning and knowing.
Divide the students into groups. Have one student in each group select one of the following quotes on change out of a hat or envelope:
- People with goals succeed because they know where they are going.
- People can alter their lives by altering their attitudes.
- One cannot change yesterday but only make the most of today and look with hope toward tomorrow.
- We cannot direct the wind but we can adjust the sails.
- Destiny is not a matter of chance. It is a matter of choice.
- You cannot change others. You can only change yourself. By changing yourself, you change those around you.
- Do not wait for your ship to come in. Swim out to it.
- Life is a journey, not a destination.
- Every cloud has a silver lining.
- The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
- Do not follow where the path may lead - instead go where there is no path and leave a trail.
- Act as though it were impossible to fail.
- The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.
Discuss the quote and determine the meaning. Design a poster on the quote (be as creative as possible).
Share the meaning of the poster with the rest of the class.

Additional Activities:

Write Haiku poetry about change. Illustrate on a poster.

Collect articles about change from the newspaper. Divide the class into groups. Each member of the group is given a different article to read and present to the rest of the group. (Follow a jigsaw strategy.)

Research - Write a report on Changing Labour Market Trends.

Evaluation:

Resources:

Adapted from: Choices you make, Canada Employment and Immigration, Regina, SK, 1992.