Career Pathways and Planning

Marisa Garmon

Tier 1

Lesson Plan

Career Pathways and Planning

Investigate careers and set goals

This lesson guides 11th-grade students through the process of exploring various career paths, setting personal goals, and creating detailed action plans for achieving them. This is crucial as it helps students to align their academic and extracurricular activities with their future aspirations.

Audience

11th Grade Students

Time

1 hour

Approach

Investigate careers and set goals

Materials

Discussion Questions, Self-Assessment Worksheet, Career Paths Worksheet, Goal Setting Worksheet, and Action Plan Worksheet

Step 1

Introduction

5 mins

Welcome students and briefly introduce the lesson topic: Career Exploration and Goal Setting.
Explain the importance of planning for the future and how today's activities will help them in that process.
Outline the activities for the lesson.

Step 2

Self-Assessment Activity

10 mins

Distribute the Self-Assessment Worksheet.
Instruct students to complete the worksheet individually, reflecting on their interests, strengths, and values.
Emphasize the importance of honest and thorough self-assessment.

Step 3

Career Investigation

15 mins

Distribute the Career Paths Worksheet.
Have students select a few careers they are interested in and complete the worksheet with research on those careers (e.g., education required, job outlook, key responsibilities).
Encourage students to use reliable sources like the Bureau of Labor Statistics or O*NET.

Step 4

Goal Setting

10 mins

Distribute the Goal Setting Worksheet.
Guide students through the process of setting SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timely) based on their career interests.
Ensure students write down at least two goals related to their future careers.

Step 5

Action Plan

15 mins

Distribute the Action Plan Worksheet.
Instruct students to outline specific steps they need to take to achieve their goals, including short-term and long-term actions.
Encourage students to think about potential obstacles and strategies to overcome them.

Step 6

Closure

5 mins

Recap the activities of the lesson and emphasize the importance of continuous self-assessment and goal setting.
Allow a few students to share their goals and action plans with the class.
Conclude with motivational words and encourage students to revisit and refine their plans regularly.

Discussion

Discussion Questions

A set of questions to facilitate a classroom discussion on career exploration and goal setting.

Why do you think it is important to plan for your future career?

Encourage students to think about the benefits of having a clear career path.

What are some challenges you might face when trying to achieve your career goals?

Help students identify common obstacles and brainstorm ways to overcome them.

Worksheet

Self-Assessment Worksheet

This worksheet helps students reflect on their interests, strengths, and values to better understand which careers might suit them.

List three activities you enjoy doing and briefly explain why.

Think about hobbies, school subjects, and extracurricular activities.

Identify three strengths or skills you have that could be valuable in a career.

Consider both academic and non-academic skills.

What are your core values? List at least three and explain why they are important to you.

Values can include honesty, compassion, determination, etc.

Worksheet

Career Paths Worksheet

This worksheet guides students in researching and documenting information about various career paths they are interested in.

Select three careers you are interested in. For each career, list the education required, job outlook, and key responsibilities.

Use reliable sources such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics or O*NET.

Worksheet

Goal Setting Worksheet

This worksheet helps students set SMART goals related to their future careers.

Write down one short-term and one long-term career goal using the SMART criteria.

Ensure that each goal is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely.

Worksheet

Action Plan Worksheet

This worksheet helps students create a step-by-step action plan to achieve their career goals.

Outline the steps you need to take in the short term to begin working towards your short-term goal.

Think about specific actions such as joining a club, taking a class, or reaching out to a mentor.

Outline the steps you need to take in the long term to achieve your long-term goal.

Consider actions such as internships, further education, and building a professional network.

Identify potential obstacles that might hinder your progress and strategies to overcome them.

Be realistic and practical in identifying challenges and solutions.