CAREER PATHWAYS: AN EXEMPLARY CURRICULUM FOR CAREER EXPLORATION Burr & Burton Academy Manchester, Vermont
	BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PRACTICE
	What do you want to do with your life? What are you good at? What do you enjoy? Answering these questions is what this course is all about. Students will spend time looking at their lifestyles, goals, values, skills, and aptitudes. Students will then explore different career interest areas and the skills needed to work in each. Finally, students will develop a career plan by examining the link between course selection and career preparation, and discovering what educational and/or training opportunities are available after high school. Students will also learn how to prepare a resume and will become familiar with the interview process. There are no prerequisites to taking this course.
	COURSE GOALS
	Understand why people work Develop a strategy for making a career decision Discover how our values, interests, aptitudes, abilities, and personalities affect our career choices Explore careers by knowing what information to gather and where to find it - Evaluate a career choice Write a career plan Find job leads Complete applications Write letters and resumes Understand job interview preparation and skills Develop good work attitudes and behaviors Understand that job performance, company policies, and the going rate affect raises and promotions Be good supervisors Change jobs wisely Understand the desired personal traits and how to acquire them Discover that, among other things, showing interest and giving praise are ways to influence others Speak with a purpose, plan a speech, and use good speaking habits Listen well Describe how computers work and how they are used Discover the traits of a successful leader Understand our free enterprise system Review ways to become a successful entrepreneur Learn about successful ways to invest your hard earned money
	COURSE CONTENT
	The World of Work: Choices and Challenges Life-styles and careers Decision making Setting a life-style goal Is your goal realistic? Exploring careers What to research How to research Making a career decision Drawing up a plan of action Entering the World of Work Exploring sources of job leads Applying for a job Interviewing for a job What your employer expects of you What you can expect from your employer How to get along with your co-workers Raises Promotions Changing careers Improving yourself Influencing others Avoiding accidents
	COURSE PROCEDURES
	Lectures Discussions Textbook reading by students Numerous worksheets for folders Videos 34 homework assignments per week Group activities Site visits Guest speakers Tests & quizzes Long Term Assignments (see last page of packet)
	RESOURCES UTILIZED
	Succeeding in the World of Work, Kimbrell & Vineyard Glencoe, Fifth Edition 1995. Various worksheets Class Folders Internet Videos
	COURSE REQUIREMENTS
	Test average, quiz average, homework, and class participation determine grade Quiz grades are worth one half of a test grade Homework must be turned in at the beginning of each class. Flexibility for absences. Student folders included in class participation grade
	OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
	All work must be completed and turned in the day it is due at the beginning of class, unless special consideration has been given. Failure to do so results in an "F" for that assignment and a detention. An official cut of a class is an automatic one-letter grade reduction at the end of the marking period and all work must be made up.
	LONG TERM ASSIGNMENTS REQUIRED IN CAREER PATHWAYS
	Career Interest Area Survey: Individual poster projects graphing out each student's own personal results for this survey. "Discovering What You're Best At" Test Series: Individual poster projects graphing out each student's own personal results for this series of tests. There are six tests total. The tests included are as follows: Business Test, Clerical Test, Logic Test, Mechanical Test, Numerical Test, and Social Test. Each student will construct a poster that clearly presents his or her individual test results. Upon completion of tests and posters, students will then receive Career Clusters based upon their individual test results. The clusters will offer a number of careers each student should consider as possibilities for their future (dependant upon their individual clusters). Careers are divided into four categories based on four levels of education required. The four levels are: 1) high school/apprenticeship, 2) 2 year college/certificate program, 3) 4-year college, and 4) graduate school. Stock Project: Each student will begin the semester with an imaginary $5000 to invest in whichever stock(s) they select (based upon their own independent research). Progress of each student's stock is monitored each class day (via the Internet). At the end of the semester, students are required to write a 2-4 page type-written paper detailing their stock's progress, the history of the company, products that company may manufacture and distribute, etc. Students are also required to construct a poster plotting their stock's progress throughout the entire semester. At the end of the semester, students are required to calculate the net profit/loss of their investments and the percent interest gained or percent of initial investment lost. This is done primarily to help students realize the options available when attempting to manage their money. The goal is to raise the following question to students: "If I have money left over from my paycheck after all my bills are paid, how do I properly manage and invest that money?" Balancing checkbooks, Certificates of Deposit in banks and taxes are also discussed. Career Paper: Students are required to submit a 6-8 page type-written paper on a career topic of their choice. They are encouraged, however, to' select a career from among those listed in their individual career clusters. Once students have instructor approval on their topic, they are to cite a minimum of four sources of information. Sources may be obtained from libraries, the Internet, and personal interviews with people already working in that particular field. Students are given 10-15 minutes each to present their paper, talk about the career they chose, present any visual aids they might have, and field any questions from the class prior to receiving a final grade. CONTACT Anthony Napolitano Burr & Burton Academy Box 498, Seminary Avenue Manchester, VT 05254 Phone: (802) 362-1775 E-mail: tnapolitano@burrburton.org
Other Related Items: Career Exploration: Burr & Burton Academy Exemplary Curriculum for Career Exploration (download the complete document as a PDF * file or Word document) Career Exploration: Fairfield Center School (Four Star Award Winner) Career Exploration: Learn to Earn Career Exploration: Lunenburg School District Career Exploration Field Trip Career Exploration: Springfield High School Career Cluster Day (* PDF documents require the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader. A FREE copy of Acrobat Reader can be downloaded by clicking on the icon at the bottom of this page.)
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