2022 Education magazine

Page 20 2022 Education Magazine LINCOLN DAILY NEWS February / March 2022 T his year in our elective classes, which are offered to fifth through eighth grade students, we have begun to implement a new program. We started with sixth and eighth this year and hope to expand it to all the classes. As the work force in our nation has changed, so has our need for students to consider careers that don’t require college. Students needed to explore the vocational side of classes, what skills are needed to get a job, and how to apply/interview for a job. We focus quite a bit on academics each year, so now we are focusing on the life skills students will need. With the eighth grade, we started by looking at the classes offered by the high school. We discussed what each of the classes were and how these classes could prepare them for college or a trade school. We had discussions about how the vocational classes at the high school had led to students I knew getting internships while in college and their first jobs out of college. Next we moved on to what these students wanted to be once they graduated. We did some research on these careers. We looked at what the college requirements were, salary, where there were openings for these jobs, what qualifications they needed, and where to apply for these jobs. We explored indeed.com. We discussed how to fill out an application and write a resume. We looked at my resume and my daughter’s resume comparing and contrasting the differences based on what career we were seeking. The students also discussed the portfolio my daughter created at ISU to help her get a job. We moved on to how to interview with someone. The students had many questions, which we researched, or I was able to answer from personal experience. We are looking to purchase a program for next year that discusses all these skills. This class has started our students on the path to choosing a bright future for themselves. New Holland-Middletown students explore choosing a career by Ms. Christina Thompson, NH-M