It's never too early to talk about careers!! Especially since the younger kids still have so many hopes and so much imagination, it's the perfect time to encourage them to pursue those dreams and the things that make them happy!!
One awesome resource that allows kids to explore different career paths is the website Paws in Jobland.
You may have heard of ICAP. ICAP stands for Individual Career and Academic Plan. As students get into middle school, they will be making career profiles online to help them navigate, search, and find information on the jobs that interest them as well as the jobs that fit their interests. Our elementary students don't have to worry about that yet, but you can help them prepare by introducing them to as many different jobs as you can!
In my careers guidance lesson, I have the students list as many jobs as they can think of in these three categories: jobs that help people, jobs that are outside, jobs that work with technology. Some jobs will even overlap across all three categories. We then discuss that jobs each category need different skills and interests, and then even the jobs in the SAME category will also need different skills.
One fun way of getting kids to think about the different skills that are involved in a variety of jobs, is to play charades!! I divide the classroom into two teams and ask each to come up with their team name. An actor from each team will come up and we will draw one career out of the hat. The actors need to get their team to guess the career just by their actions, NO WORDS OR SOUNDS! This really gets them thinking about what someone in that job might do!
I also might give a "case study". For example, I may tell the students about a little girl who loves taking care of her younger siblings by making sure they have a snack, finish their homework, and that they have something to play with. She also knows where the first aid kit is and will help them if they hurt themselves while playing. I then ask the students what jobs she may be good at. I may get answers such as: doctor, nurse, babysitter, or teacher.
I end the lesson by encouraging them to think about what they already like to do and what they are already good at. They have the power to do almost anything they want, and sometimes that thought can be overwhelming! So I have them start by just thinking of what they already know that they like to do and what skills they already have. They can then start thinking of careers that may align with those interests!
One awesome resource that allows kids to explore different career paths is the website Paws in Jobland.
You may have heard of ICAP. ICAP stands for Individual Career and Academic Plan. As students get into middle school, they will be making career profiles online to help them navigate, search, and find information on the jobs that interest them as well as the jobs that fit their interests. Our elementary students don't have to worry about that yet, but you can help them prepare by introducing them to as many different jobs as you can!
In my careers guidance lesson, I have the students list as many jobs as they can think of in these three categories: jobs that help people, jobs that are outside, jobs that work with technology. Some jobs will even overlap across all three categories. We then discuss that jobs each category need different skills and interests, and then even the jobs in the SAME category will also need different skills.
One fun way of getting kids to think about the different skills that are involved in a variety of jobs, is to play charades!! I divide the classroom into two teams and ask each to come up with their team name. An actor from each team will come up and we will draw one career out of the hat. The actors need to get their team to guess the career just by their actions, NO WORDS OR SOUNDS! This really gets them thinking about what someone in that job might do!
I also might give a "case study". For example, I may tell the students about a little girl who loves taking care of her younger siblings by making sure they have a snack, finish their homework, and that they have something to play with. She also knows where the first aid kit is and will help them if they hurt themselves while playing. I then ask the students what jobs she may be good at. I may get answers such as: doctor, nurse, babysitter, or teacher.
I end the lesson by encouraging them to think about what they already like to do and what they are already good at. They have the power to do almost anything they want, and sometimes that thought can be overwhelming! So I have them start by just thinking of what they already know that they like to do and what skills they already have. They can then start thinking of careers that may align with those interests!