Career Development Part B: Programs and websites

Copyright Shaun McElroy

Includes: SAS program Do What you are Strengthsfinder

Includes Bridges ACT Real Game

Check out the links

Strengths + Future Planning Grade 9 DWYA Grade 10 Strengths Career DWYA Grade 11 College Match Junior Interview Strengths Career DWYA Grade 12 Senior Retreat College Match Junior Interview Strengths Career DWYA

Strengths + Future Planning Grade 9 DWYA

Grade 9 DWYA

“Individuals gain more when they build on their talents, than when they make comparable efforts to improve their areas of weakness.” --Clifton & Harter

The ‘Positive Psychology’ Model “Positive Psychology … is the scientific study of optimal human functioning [that] aims to discover and promote the factors that allow individuals …to thrive. [It is the] psychology of happiness, flow, and personal strengths.” (Seligman, 1999).

Writing Challenge Write 5 things you are known for Write these same five with non-dominant hand What is the Difference?

Strengths + Future Planning Grade 10 Strengths Career DWYA

What is it How we used it Pitfalls Recommendations Strengths + Future Planning

What Are Talents? Naturally occurring Thoughts Feelings Behaviors

What Are Strengths? Talent Knowledge Skills = Strength

Questions to Identify Strengths What did you learn with the greatest ease in high school?

Questions to Identify Strengths Describe a successful day.

Questions to Identify Strengths What was your favorite assignment?

Questions to Identify Strengths What subjects do you enjoy studying the most?

Questions to Identify Strengths What comes easily for you?

Questions to Identify Strengths Tell me about a time in your life when you accomplished something you were proud of.

Evidence of your Strengths yearnings Intense satisfaction Achievements Flow Rapid Learnings

“Individuals gain more when they build on their talents, than when they make comparable efforts to improve their areas of weakness.” --Clifton & Harter, 2003

Building Strengths Identify the natural talent themes –Ways of processing information –Ways of interacting with people –Ways of seeing the world –Habits, behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs that can be productively applied

What are strengths? Attitudes that sustain efforts toward achievement and excellence Behavior patterns that make a person effective Beliefs that empower a person to succeed Motivations that propel a person to take action and maintain the energy needed to achieve Thought patterns that make a person efficient

The Highest Achievers Spend most of their time in their areas of strength Focus on developing and applying their strengths and managing their weaknesses They don’t necessarily have more strengths —they have simply developed their strengths more fully and have learned to apply them to new situations

More About the Highest Achievers Use their strengths to overcome obstacles Invent ways of capitalizing on their strengths in new situations and using their strengths to overcome areas of weakness Or partner with someone with complimentary strengths

StrengthsQuest – Program Overview Based on more than 35 years of GALLUP research into human talent and strengths Set aside 40 uninterrupted minutes 180 questions, forced choice 20 seconds per question Report: Top five signature Strengths

Clifton StrengthsFinder TM Used with over 4 million people in 17 languages over 250,000 college students Over 400 Colleges Over150 high schools 34 signature themes – top 5

Why Use an Instrument? Provides a common language to talk about strengths Validates and affirms students’ experiences Jump starts the conversation and provides a springboard for discussion

Using Strengthsfinder Identifies top 5 themes Six-month test-retest reliability across all populations ranges from.60 to.80 Three-month test-retest reliability among college students ranges from.70 to.76 Study from Harvard: Students preferred Strengths over MBTI or the Values Information Assessment

Why Strengths? Aim for: consistent, near-perfect performance in a given activity.

When schools focus on Strengths:

When schools focus on Strengths:

When schools focus on Strengths:

When schools focus on Strengths:

When schools focus on Strengths:

When schools focus on Strengths:

When schools focus on Strengths:

When schools focus on Strengths:

When schools focus on Strengths:

The Focus Changes FROM: Problems Attendance Preparation Putting into the student Average TO: Possibilities Engagement Motivation Drawing out from the student Excellence

Relationship between Positivity, Negativity, and Productivity. –Study by Dr. Elizabeth Hurlock in 1925

Top Strengths of ECA High School Faculty Achiever (2) Activator Adaptability (2) Arranger Command Consistency Deliberative (2) Discipline Empathy (4) Focus Harmony Ideation (2) Includer (2) Individualization Input (4) Learner Positivity Relator (2) Responsibility Restorative Self-Assurance Strategic WOO

Profile of typical ECA staff Input – 15 Learner – 14 Intellection – 11 Strategic – 10 Achiever – 10 Adaptability – 10

Strengths – Teaching Staff The Math Department Strengths at ECA

This person defines himself by his ability to live up to his commitments. It will be intensely frustrating for him to work around people who don’t. As far as possible avoid putting him in team situations with lackadaisical teammates. In discussing his work, talk about its quality first. How to manage a person strong in Responsibility

How to manage a person strong in Self- Assurance  Give this person a role where he has the leeway to make meaningful decisions. He will neither want nor require close hand-holding.  Position him in a role where persistence is essential to success. He has the self-confidence to stay the course despite pressure to change direction.  Put him in a role that demands an aura of certainty and stability. At critical moments this inner authority will calm his colleagues and his customers.

How to manage a person strong in Learner  Position this person in roles that require him to stay current in a fast-changing field. He will enjoy the challenge of maintaining his competency.  Regardless of his role, he will be eager to learn new facts, skills, or knowledge. Explore new ways for him to learn and remain motivated, lest he start hunting for a richer learning environment.  Help him track his learning progress by identifying milestones or levels that he has reached. Celebrate these milestones.

How to manage a person strong in Includer  This person is interested in making everyone feel part of the team. Ask him to work on an orientation program for new employees. He will be excited to think about ways to welcome these new recruits.  As him to lead a task force to recruit minority persons into your organization. He is instinctively sensitive to those who are or have been left out.  When you have group functions, ask him make sure that everyone is included. He will work hard to ensure that no individual or group is overlooked.  In certain situations it may be appropriate to ask him to be your organization’s link to community social agencies.

Sample of 9 th Graders strengths at ECA

strengths in English 10 class at ECA

People Differ in Five Dimensions of Strengths Their particular strengths The relative intensity of their strengths Their unique combination of strengths The extent to which they have developed their strengths The extent to which they are applying their strengths in a given situation

Fundamental Educational Shift "As educators, our challenge and our joy is helping students move to levels of personal excellence by becoming the persons they have the potential to be. And the marvelous thing about this perspective is that in the process we also move toward our own levels of personal excellence, becoming the persons we have the potential to be." Chip Anderson “Survival of the fittest” “Deficit remediation” “Strengths-based education”

uncover claim develop Apply to self Apply to others

Our plan Complete StrengthsFinder Share results with –Counselor –2 friends –Your parents Answer two reflection questions and send to your counselor uncover claim

Our plan Group work Scavenger Balconies and Basements claim develop

Our plan Mission statement Career development develop Apply to self

Our plan College portfolio Leadership development Apply to self Apply to others

Strengths Development Model Knowledge of Self Knowledge of Others Management of Self Management of Others

The Challenge of Identifying and Affirming Talents May be so automatic that you are not aware of using them You may have been put down or criticized for your talents Many people try to control you by focusing on your weaknesses We can be reluctant to focus on talents because we don’t want to look arrogant

Challenges, cont Our society believes that the best way to improve is to overcome weaknesses. Sometimes people wish they were not as talented in certain themes and may consider those talents weaknesses

Strengths Connect with 4 Key Motivational Drives THINKING RELATING IMPACTING STRIVING

StrengthsFinder ® Achiever Activator Adaptability Analytical Arrange Belief Command Communication Competition Connectedness Consistency Context Deliberative Developer Discipline Empathy Focus Futuristic Harmony Ideation Includer Individuation Input Intellection Learner Maximizer Positivity Relator Responsibility Restorative Self-Assurance Significance Strategic Woo

Most occurring strengths to GPA

Highest GPA and strengths

GPA and strengths

Strengths and low performance

More info?

Shaun’s themes Includer Positivity Woo Strategic Adaptability

Putting it into practice Challenges Time Money Cynicism

Putting it into practice Advice Do it yourself Take the training Get your teachers to do it Start small Find ways to link it to everything!

Strengths + Future Planning Grade 10 Strengths Career DWYA

Strengths + Future Planning Grade 10 Strengths Career DWYA

Strengths + Future Planning What is the career you choose? Why? What education do you need? Name three universities/colleges that offer a program that would lead to career? What academic areas in high school should a student have/be strong in to pursue this career? What are the prospects of that career? (Will there be a demand for people in this career, can you make a living off of it, what are some related fields etc) Grade 10 Strengths Career DWYA

Strengths + Future Planning List two specific resources that would be useful for someone considering this career (association, website, journal, book etc) What do people love about this career?—talk to your parents, their friends, research online etc. What is your biggest concern/worry pursuing this career? With this career, would you be following your bliss? How so, or why not? Grade 10 Strengths Career DWYA

Strengths + Future Planning Grade 10 Strengths Career DWYA Strengths Career

Strengths + Future Planning Grade 11 College Match Junior Interview Strengths Career DWYA

Strengths + Future Planning Junior Interview Surveys Parent and Child The plan Grade 11 College Match Junior Interview Strengths Career DWYA

Strengths + Future Planning Grade 11 College Match Junior Interview Strengths Career DWYA Values Goal Self Considerations

Strengths + Future Planning Grade 9 DWYA Grade 10 Strengths Career DWYA Grade 11 College Match Junior Interview Strengths Career DWYA Grade 12 Senior Retreat College Match Junior Interview Strengths Career DWYA

Focus on strengths=Engagement

Least occurring strengths to GPA

PLAN Score Report Side 1

Plan: Your Career Possibilities

Generations at Work Nexters or Millennials Veterans or Traditionalists Baby BoomersGen Xers Retiring from the work force years old Middle to end work force years old Beginning to mid work force years old In K-16 education system 6-25 years old

Veterans or Traditionalists Conformity, hard work, duty, dedication and sacrifice, patience Core Values: Motivational Messages: Assets: Liabilities: Loyal, stable, detail-oriented Uncomfortable with conflict, inept with ambiguity and change “Your experience is valued, and perseverance will be rewarded.”

Baby Boomers Optimism, team orientation, work involvement, personal gratification Core Values: Motivational Messages: Assets: Liabilities: Service-oriented, driven, team player Reluctant to go against peers, overly sensitive to feedback “Your contribution is unique and important.”

Gen Xers Diversity, thinking globally, technoliteracy, fun, informality Core Values: Motivational Messages: Assets: Liabilities: Adaptable, independent, creative Impatient, poor people skills, cynical, inexperienced “There are not a lot of rules here. Do it your way.”

Nexters or Millennials Civic duty, achievement, confidence, sociability, morality Core Values: Motivational Messages: Assets: Liabilities: Tenacity, multi-tasking, tenacity Need for supervision and structure “You’ll be working with other bright, creative people.”

Significant Shift in Leadership 90% of American businesses are family owned ¾ family owned leaders will leave in 10 years 40% will leave in 5 years

ASCA National Standards for School Counseling Programs Academic DevelopmentCareer DevelopmentPersonal/Social Development Students acquire attitudes, knowledge and skills for effective learning in school and across the lifespan. Students acquire skills to investigate the world of work in relation to knowledge of self and to make informed career decisions. Students acquire knowledge, attitudes, interpersonal skills to help them understand and respect self and others. Students complete school with academic preparation to choose from a wide range of post- secondary options. Students employ strategies to achieve career goals with success and satisfaction. Students make decisions, set goals and take action to achieve goals. Students understand the relationship of academics to the world of work and to life at home and in the community. Students understand the relationship between personal qualities, education, training, and world of work. Students understand safety and survival skills.

Years 3 & 4 Years 5 & 6 Years 7 & 8 Years 9 & 10 Years 11 & 12 Adults Career Management Curricula

The Real Game Series ™ Aligned with California Academic Standards Implements the National Career Development Guidelines Meets ASCA National Standards for Career Development Is consistent with SCANS foundations skills and competencies Identifies learning objectives and performance indicators for each learning unit Provides a performance review for each game The Real Game Series™ U.S. Video CD Training Promotion Handout

Benefits of The Real Game Series As reported from parents, teachers, administrators, and counselors: 1.Students see the relevance of their education to their future lives; 2. Students become more enthusiastic about school and learning; 3. Academic performance increases; 4. School attendance increases; 5. Students develop strong career management skills; 6. Bullying behavior decreases; and 7. Students are more communicative and understanding with parents / guardians.

Our grade 10 career assignment

The assignment 1: Review 2: Career Matching 3. Research 4. Reflections 5. Share

1: Review

2: Career Matching

2: Career Matching

2: Career Matching

2: Career Matching

2: Career Matching

3. Research Labour Market Information What is this job about? What do you need to do to get it?

3. Research

3. Research

4. Reflections

5. Share Did you send it to your counselor? Did you share it with your parents? We will share in class—discussion circle

Key points Does it match your personality? Does it highlight your strengths? Will you be following your bliss? Are you taking the right educational program?

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