Warm-Up: What's Your Super Skill?

Objective: To encourage students to think about their personal strengths and skills, setting a positive tone for the lesson on employment readiness.

Instructions:

1. Think: Take a moment to think about something you are really good at. It could be anything! Maybe you're great at listening, good with your hands, always on time, or excellent at helping others.
   
   
   

2. Share: When it's your turn, share your

Ready For Work: Your Strengths Are Your Superpowers!

Discovering Your Abilities

Starting a new job can feel exciting and sometimes a little bit scary. But guess what? You already have amazing strengths and abilities that can help you succeed! Think about things you enjoy doing, things you are good at, or even things people often ask you for help with. These are your natural talents and skills.

For example, maybe you are a really good listener, or you are very organized. Perhaps you are great at following instructions, or you are always on time. These are all valuable skills that employers look for!

What Do Employers Look For?

When someone is hiring for a job, they usually look for a few important things:

• Reliability: Can they count on you to show up on time and do what you say you will do?
• Communication: Can you clearly understand instructions and ask questions when you need to? Can you talk to your co-workers and supervisors respectfully?
• Teamwork: Can you work well with others? Sometimes you might need to help a teammate or ask for help.
• Problem-Solving: If something unexpected happens, can you try to figure out a solution?
• Positive Attitude: Are you willing to learn and try your best?

Building Your Skills

Even if you don't feel super confident in all these areas right now, that's okay! Many skills can be learned and improved. Every day is a chance to practice and get better. For instance, if you want to improve your communication, you can practice speaking clearly or making eye contact when you talk to people.

Why is This Important?

Knowing your strengths helps you feel more confident when you apply for jobs and during interviews. When you know what you're good at, you can tell potential employers why you would be a great fit for their team. It also helps you find jobs that you will enjoy and be successful at.

Remember, everyone has unique talents. Your journey to employment is about discovering and showcasing your own special superpowers!

Teacher Script: Your Path to Work!

Warm-Up: What's Your Super Skill? (10 minutes)

(Display What's Your Super Skill? Warm-Up / Slide 1 of Your Path to Work! Slide Deck )

"Good morning/afternoon, everyone! Welcome. Today, we're going to talk about something really important: getting ready for work. Before we dive in, let's do a quick warm-up to get our brains thinking.

Take a moment to think about something you are really good at. It could be anything! Maybe you're great at listening, good with your hands, always on time, or excellent at helping others. It doesn't have to be a 'job skill' yet; just something you feel proud of doing well."

(Give students a minute or two to think.)

"Who would like to share their super skill with the group? Don't be shy!"

(Encourage 3-5 students to share. Affirm their responses. For example: "That's a fantastic skill, [Student Name]! Being a good listener is so valuable.")

"Excellent! It's great to hear about all your unique talents. We'll see how these 'super skills' are actually very important in the world of work."

Introduction & Reading: Your Journey to a Great Job! (15 minutes)

(Transition to Slide 2 of Your Path to Work! Slide Deck )

"Today, we're starting a journey to help you feel more confident and prepared for finding a job. We're going to explore:

• Your Awesome Strengths: What makes YOU a great employee?
• Employer Expectations: What do jobs look for?
• Smart Communication: How to show your best self to potential employers.

We'll start with a short reading called Ready For Work: Your Strengths Are Your Superpowers!"

(Distribute the Ready For Work Reading to each student.)

"Please take a few minutes to read through this. You can read it quietly to yourselves, or if anyone would like to read a paragraph aloud, let me know. As you read, think about what it says about your strengths and what employers look for."

(Allow 7-10 minutes for reading. Offer to read aloud for students who prefer it or struggle with reading. Circulate to provide support and answer individual questions.)

"Alright, let's take a moment. Are there any words or ideas in the reading that were confusing? Or anything that really stood out to you?"

(Address any questions or points of confusion.)

Skills Spotlight Discussion (15 minutes)

(Transition to Slide 3 of Your Path to Work! Slide Deck and refer to the Skills Spotlight Discussion Guide for additional prompts.)

"Now that we've read 'Ready For Work,' let's discuss some of the key ideas. This is your chance to share your thoughts and hear from others. I'm going to put up some questions on the board.

First, based on the reading and your own ideas: What are some strengths you identified in yourself? Think about the warm-up, too!"

(Facilitate a discussion. Call on students, encourage them to elaborate. "Can you give an example of when you used that strength?")

"Great examples! Now, the reading talked about what employers look for. What qualities do employers value most? Why do you think these are important?"

(Guide the conversation towards reliability, communication, teamwork, etc. "Why is being reliable important for a job?")

"Fantastic points. Finally, How can you show these qualities or strengths to a potential employer? For instance, if you're a good listener, how would an employer know that?"

(Encourage practical answers like 'during an interview,' 'by asking questions,' 'by arriving on time.')

"Wonderful discussion, everyone. You've got a lot of valuable insights!"

My Strengths, My Success Worksheet (10 minutes)

(Transition to Slide 4 of Your Path to Work! Slide Deck )

"It's one thing to talk about our strengths, and another to write them down and see how they connect to real jobs. We're going to do an activity called My Strengths, My Success."

(Distribute the My Strengths, My Success Worksheet to each student.)

"On this worksheet, you'll have a chance to list some of your strengths and then think about how those strengths could be helpful in different types of jobs. Take your time, think creatively, and don't worry about being perfect. Just do your best."

(Allow 8-10 minutes for students to work on the worksheet. Circulate, offer assistance, and answer questions. Encourage them to be specific.)

"We're almost done with this activity. Does anyone want to share one strength they wrote down and how it might help in a job?"

(Allow 1-2 students to share if time permits.)

Wrap-Up & Quiz: Employment Readiness Check (5 minutes)

(Transition to Slide 5 of Your Path to Work! Slide Deck )

"Wow, we've covered a lot today! We started by identifying our personal strengths. We then discussed what employers look for when they hire people, and we thought about how our skills fit into different jobs. These are all crucial steps in preparing for employment.

Now, to see what you remember and what you've learned, we have a quick Employment Readiness Check Quiz."

*(Distribute the Employment Readiness Check Quiz.)

"Please complete this quiz to the best of your ability. It's a way for me to see what stuck with you today. No need to rush, just read carefully."

(Allow 3-4 minutes for the quiz. Collect quizzes when students are finished.)

Cool-Down: My Next Steps (5 minutes)

(Transition to Slide 6 of Your Path to Work! Slide Deck )

"Before we finish today, let's take one last moment to reflect. On your My Next Steps Cool-Down paper, I want you to write down one thing you will do to get ready for work based on what we talked about today."

(Give students a minute to write. Offer an option to share with a partner or the class if they prefer.)

"This could be something small, like thinking more about your strengths, or something bigger, like looking into a job you're interested in. Every step counts!"

(Collect the cool-down slips.)

"Thank you all for your great participation and hard work today. Remember, your strengths are your superpowers, and you are all capable of finding a fulfilling path to work!"

Skills Spotlight: Let's Talk About Work!

Objective: To facilitate a meaningful discussion where students can connect personal strengths to employer expectations and understand the importance of communication in job readiness.

Introduction: "We just read the 'Ready For Work' article. Now, let's open up the floor for a discussion. There are no right or wrong answers, just your thoughts and experiences. Remember to listen respectfully to each other's ideas."

Discussion Questions:

1. Personal Strengths:

   • What are some personal strengths or 'super skills' you have? (Think about our warm-up!)
     
     
     
     
   • How do you think these strengths could be useful in a job?
     
     
     
     

2. Employer Expectations:

   • Based on the reading, what are some important qualities or skills that employers look for when hiring someone?
     
     
     
     
   • Why do you think these qualities (like reliability, communication, or teamwork) are so important for a workplace?
     
     
     
     

3. Showing Your Best Self:

   • If you have a strength like being a good listener, how can you show that to an employer during a job interview or on your first day of work?
     
     
     
     
   • What are some ways we can practice good communication skills when talking about jobs or with co-workers?
     
     
     
     

4. Connecting Skills to Jobs:

   • Can you think of a specific type of job you might be interested in? What strengths do you have that would make you good at that job?
     
     
     
     

Facilitator Notes:

• Encourage all students to participate, even if it's just a short comment.
• Rephrase questions if needed to ensure understanding.
• Affirm contributions and build on student answers.
• Keep an eye on time to ensure all questions are addressed adequately.
• Connect student responses back to the 'Ready For Work' reading when appropriate.

My Strengths, My Success: Getting Ready for Work!

Instructions: This worksheet will help you think about your strengths and how they can help you find and keep a great job. Read each section and write down your ideas.

Part 1: My Personal Strengths

Think about things you are good at, enjoy doing, or that others say you do well. List at least three of your strengths.

1. Strength 1:
   
   
   

   • How does this strength help you in your daily life?
     
     
     

2. Strength 2:
   
   
   

   • How does this strength help you in your daily life?
     
     
     

3. Strength 3:
   
   
   

   • How does this strength help you in your daily life?
     
     
     

Part 2: Connecting Strengths to Jobs

Now, let's think about how your strengths can be useful in a work setting. For each strength you listed above, write down how it could be a valuable skill for an employer.

Example: If your strength is being on time, this helps an employer because it shows you are reliable and respectful of others' time.

1. My Strength:
   

   • How this helps in a job:
     
     
     
     

2. My Strength:
   

   • How this helps in a job:
     
     
     
     

3. My Strength:
   

   • How this helps in a job:
     
     
     
     

Part 3: What Do Employers Look For?

Based on our reading and discussion, list two important qualities or skills that employers often look for in their employees.

1. Employer Quality 1:
   
   
   

2. Employer Quality 2:
   
   
   

Part 4: Communicating My Skills

Imagine you are talking to a potential employer. How would you tell them about one of your strengths and why it makes you a good candidate for a job?

• I would say:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Cool-Down: My Next Steps

Objective: To encourage students to reflect on one actionable step they can take towards employment readiness based on the lesson.

Instructions: Think about everything we discussed today – your strengths, what employers look for, and how to communicate your skills. In the space below, write down one thing you will do to take a step forward in getting ready for work.

It can be something small, like thinking more about one of your strengths, or something bigger, like looking up a type of job you're interested in.

My next step towards employment readiness is: