Running head: CAREER LESSON PLAN 1

Career Lesson Plan: My Future Self

Kimberly Fleischer

The University of Texas at Tyler

Dr. Karl Witt

COUN 5344: Advanced Principles of School Counseling

November 21, 2013

CAREER LESSON PLAN 2

Career Lesson Plan: My Future Self

Objective Students will link their ideal futures with real-life career and education goals.Time Approximately 60 minutesMaterials - Projector and/or SmartBoard

- Student netbooks with internet access- Future Self Handout (Appendix A)- Glog Rubric (Appendix B)- Student Survey (Appendix C)- Glog Sample (Appendix D)

Procedures 1. What do you want?- Teacher: “Raise your hand if you have ever imagined what you

will be like in the future.”- Teacher: “Most of us have a pretty good idea about the things we

want for ourselves. As middle schoolers, you may not have a totally clear picture, but it looks like most of you have given it some thought.”

- Teacher: “What I would like for you to do is pretend you have a crystal ball that lets you see the future. I would like for you to close your eyes and imagine yourself in 15 years. Think about what your life is like and all of the things that you want to have and to accomplish. After you have thought for a few minutes, I want you to write down all of the things you want for yourself in the crystal ball on your hand out. Remember, this is your future, so be honest about the things you want or don’t want when you are in your mid to late 20’s.”

- Allow the students 10-15 minutes to write down everything about their futures. If students get stuck about the things they want, then have them write what they know they do not want (for example, working in a fast food restaurant). Encourage students to work independently, so that their ideas are not influenced by others.

- If time permits, allow a few students to share what they wrote down.

2. How will you get it?- Teacher: “As I was walking around, I saw some really wonderful

dreams about the future. You all have things that you really want for yourselves, but the hard part is making those dreams a reality.”

- Teacher: “I would like for you to think about the things that you have listed in your crystal ball. How much money do you think you will need to have those cars, houses, and clothes? What kind of job do you think would need to be able to afford those things?”

- Teacher: “I know some of you included your dream jobs in your crystal ball, but others didn’t. I would like for you to think again about the kind of job your future self is going to need in order to get all of the things you want.”

- Have the students write down a job that they think their future self

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might have on their handouts.- Allow the students 15-20 minutes to explore their chosen careers

on the Bureau of Labor Statistics website: http://www.bls.gov/ooh/- Students will answer the questions about their future careers on

their handouts.3. What’s my vision for my future self?

- Teacher: “Now that you know what you want and you have identified the kind of job you will need to get you there, I want you to take a minute to create a reminder for yourself.”

- Teacher: “I want you to use the information you collected to create a glog about your future self. Whenever you are feeling like you just can’t do it or that everything is getting too hard, I want you to look back at your work and remember that even what you do today impacts your future self. Your dreams are worth the hard work!”

- Direct students to the Glogster website: http://edu.glogster.com/- Have students create a digital poster that represents their dreams

and shares their career and education goals.- Allow students to use the rest of the class period to create their

glogs. You may distribute the rubric if the teacher chooses to use this assignment as a grade (Appendix B).

4. Closing- Teacher: “Today you had the opportunity to identify the things you

want for yourself in the future and learn about what it will take to get those things. Hopefully you have a little bit clearer picture about who you want to become. Remember, the future is up to you, and what you see in your crystal ball will change, but what’s important is that you keep your dreams in sight and start working towards them today.”

- Ask students to complete the student survey before leaving class (Appendix C).

Assessment - Informal checks for understanding during lesson- Completed “glog” that meets the criteria on the rubric- Participation in class discussion- Feedback from student survey

Extension/ Alternative Activities

1. Creative Writing—Write a day-in-the-life-of story about your future self. Be sure to describe your job, lifestyle, financial status, and how you feel about the life you are leading.

2. Budgeting—Compare the salary estimated for your future career to the things that you want in the future. Based on the information from the Occupational Outlook Handbook, will you be able to afford the lifestyle you want?

3. Collage—Create a collage that represents your future self. Include pictures of the job you want, the college you would like to attend, the type of car you want to drive, and the kind of house you would like to live in. Write a short explanation for each picture in your collage, so that others can learn more about your future plans.

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Appendix BFuture Self Handout

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Appendix BFuture Self Glog Rubric

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Appendix CStudent Survey

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Appendix DSample Glog

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References

Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2012). Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved from

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/