We want students to be successful in our classroom. We want students to be prepared for success in the work place. How can we accomplish both without adding time to our schedule? Let me share with you some insight from a veteran agriculture mechanics teacher.

His classroom and shop ran like a well-oiled machine, literally and figuratively. All students were working (yes all), there were little to no discipline issues, and any time information needed to be shared with the class, I watched him calmly walk to one student who then disseminated the information through a chain of student leaders.  “What is going on?” I thought to myself. “How do you get your class of high school students to function like this?” After spending some time in his shop, I asked him to share some of his strategies. Here are a few important things I was reminded of, and a new approach I learned:

• Treat students with respect and give them the opportunity to lead. They may fail, but they will learn through experience.
• Establish order and a process for each day. Students can thrive when they know what is expected and can establish a routine.
• A New Approach: Set up your classroom/shop like a work environment. Train your students to be successful employees while in your class.
  • Select a “Foreman” for each class period. It is this student’s responsibility to make sure that project managers are on task, projects are progressing, and all students are working efficiently. At the designated time, this student will signal for clean up and inspect stations. You may choose to rotate foreman regularly, or maintain a consistent foreman year-round.  “How do you pick your foreman?” I asked. Choose someone who has shown you that they are responsible and hardworking. This could be a natural leader that students gravitate towards, or a hard-working quiet student who needs some coaxing out of their shell.
  • Appoint project managers. In the shop, these students may be in charge of different areas of the shop, or specific projects students are working on. In the classroom, these managers could be responsible for various materials, cleanliness of classroom, collecting papers, following up with absent students, posting new vocabulary words, etc. Project managers report to the foreman, who report to you.
  • Treat students as employees. Emphasize that in the workforce, if you are late and/or you don’t perform, you don’t keep your job.

Take these ideas and try them on as you start your new year. Continually look for ways in your classroom to prepare your students to be successful outside in the real world.

Let’s take a spin on the old field trip idea. Kids love field trips. Teachers love field trips when they aren’t a burden to plan. Parents enjoy field trips because they get to be involved. So why do we stop this wonderful experience after about, oh let’s say, 3^rd grade? I’m sure you could think of a few reasons. Money and time may be at the top of your list. However, let me offer you this food for thought: Imagine a field trip as a truly educational experience, not just a fun reward adventure to the city zoo. Look at this as a chance to connect your students to the industry in their community and potential job opportunities at all levels.

Check out Factory Tours USA for a comprehensive list of substantial factories that offer tours to the public. Your most practical approach will be to search by state, and peruse the options within easy driving distance. You’ll have fun reading the brief descriptions of each tour facility.

Concerned about funding? Talk to your administration early (are they in their office now?) about the potential for parent drivers. Our district allows parents to drive, as long as they are finger printed and have insurance on file. Have interested parents take care of these steps at the beginning of the year, so your drivers are set to go!

Can’t get a substitute? Consider an afternoon trip and partner up with a fellow teacher. They’ll agree to take your kids who don’t go for their afternoon classes, and you’ll reciprocate when they want to take a trip.

Really stuck? If you just can’t get out of the classroom, this site can be used as a career exploration virtual experience. Have students search facilities by category, and develop a presentation or written report on 1-2 facilities they explored using the internet. 

Every day we hear more and more bad news about the job market, which can be discouraging as we work to prepare our students to join the work force. But there’s some great news – seasonal employees are still in high demand and summer jobs are no exception! Kids hear so much theory about what it takes to be successful, that sometimes what they really need is to learn it first-hand. Regardless of the type of position, students learn from filling out a job application, interviewing, and being responsible for showing up on time each day! Take this opportunity to connect your students with summer employment, and you will help them make valuable career connections while developing personal leadership skills.

Online: I found two great websites to help your students navigate the summer employment opportunities available.

Our first stop is SnagAJob.com. Students simply have to type in their zip code and a list of local jobs pops up. You can narrow jobs down by employer or by city. Head back to the home page and students can sign up for job alerts in their area to be emailed to them. This could be a great tool even if your students aren’t looking for a job just yet, to open their eyes to local opportunities.

Summerjobs.com is more specific to what we would typically think of as a “summer job”. Camp counselors, lifeguards, and swim instructors can find employment here! You have the option to sign up and become a member of the site, but you can search without registering by simply typing in a key word. When your options come up, you can sort by title, location, employer, and date posted. I like this site because it also gives a brief description of the industry related to the job, which could easily be used to enrich your curriculum!

Push your students to gain career skills by getting a summer job. They will appreciate the money now and the value of the experience later!