The Classroom is Emptying...

Since last week went so well and most of you have your placements, our focus this week will be finding placements for anyone still job-hunting.  My focus this week, especially Monday through Wednesday when most of you will be out of the building, will be helping you place calls, practice interviewing, and finding the right fit for your Senior Experience.  On Thursday and Friday, we’re again going to engage in discussions about your work week, what went well, what you struggled with, and how you feel about your placement.  I found last week’s discussions, as well as the Twizzlers we shared during the discussions, to be extremely fun and engaging. We’ll also get around to some more role plays, but I want to also focus on some ideas for videos that can be included on your YouTube channels and websites. 

Below is the breakdown of your focus for the week.  I realize it’s the same as last week, however, you’ll likely do more than simply train and take more safety tests. 

Those With Placements:

1. Focus on the technical skills you learn during training
1. What do you do?
2. What type of tools do you use?
3. Is there software you need to learn about?  How user-friendly is it?  
2. During your observations, pay close attention to the technical skills of your mentor
1. Please use the same questions above 
2. Is there a clear difference between your skill and your workplace mentor's?

Those Without Placements:

1. Reach out to businesses that hire high school-age part-time employees
1. Call/walk in/apply online
2. Log all your contacts to make sure you are organized

**If you have interviews scheduled during class time, please let me know in advance so I can get clearance from the office for you to leave the building**

Monday through Wednesday:

This week, the focus is finding jobs and preparing for interviews.  You will document each of your attempts in the Google Sheet provided above and we will dedicate some class time to preparing for interviews.  I hope that some of you schedule interviews during class time so you can return to class and share out your experiences.  I have some contacts at local dentist offices as well as with the Department of Health due to our Academy’s outstanding work over the past three years.  Hopefully this turns into placements for a few of you.

Thursday

Just as we did last week, those of you who work Monday through Wednesday will return to class to share out your experiences for the week.  I thoroughly enjoyed the time we took to just talk about your experiences, the lessons you learned, things that opened your eyes about responsibility or life in general, and challenges you faced.  The simple 3 to 5-minute conversations each of you lead were extremely meaningful, and the variety of lessons you learned hopefully inspired you to learn more this week.  I expect this week’s discussions to be similar to last week’s. 

After our discussions, we will brainstorm as many ideas as we can for a class video about the course and the great things you’ve experienced in your first two weeks on the job. 

Friday

On Friday, you’ll work on your class video ideas and maybe begin writing some questions that can be answered on camera.  Think of opportunities to shoot B-Roll, royalty-free music that can be included in the video, and other elements of the project that will make it appealing for all viewers.  Work in groups of 3 to 5 and share out your ideas in the last 15 minutes of class.  I’ll pop in on conversations to see if I can be of assistance.

Let's have a great week! Good luck to those of you who start your placements tomorrow!  See you at some point in class.

Differentiated Focus

This week, we're going to have true differentiation regarding the focus of our tasks.  Those of you who are beginning your placements will hit the road and begin your work. Those of you who will be leaving in the next week will focus on completing the necessary pages of your PLP and sharing out your expectations/trepidation moving forward.  Finally, those of you who have not yet secured a placement will work on finding an appropriate placement for your senior experience.  By the end of the week, we'll have a good amount of material to post a worthwhile blog entry.  Below is a list of goals and a breakdown of what we will do each day:

Those With Placements:

1. Focus on the technical skills you learn during training
1. What do you do?
2. What type of tools do you use?
3. Is there software you need to learn about?  How user-friendly is it?  
2. During your observations, pay close attention to the technical skills of your mentor
1. Please use the same questions above 
2. Is there a clear difference between your skill and your workplace mentor's?

Those Scheduled to begin 9/26:

1. Confirm your start date/hours
2. Coordinate completion of pages 8 - 10 of the PLP with employer and guardian
3. What type of technical skills will you need to succeed?
4. What do you expect to do in your first week?
5. Think about how nervous you are about the placement.  How will you handle your nerves?

Those Without Placements:

1. Inquire with Nia Association regarding openings they may have (utilize their "Contact Us" page)
2. Find businesses that would fit your desired career path
3. Reach out to businesses that hire high school-age part-time employees
1. Call/walk in/apply online
4. Log all your contacts to make sure you are organized

**If you have interviews scheduled during class time, please let me know in advance so I can get clearance from the office for you to leave the building**

Monday

On Monday, we will begin class with a discussion of something I like to call E-Linking.  This is an exercise I used to do when training new employees in sales positions to get them comfortable with asking questions, listening, and gaining confidence interacting with people.  I'll explain what E-Linking is about, and after a brief explanation, you'll partner up with someone to practice.  After you've finished the exercise, you'll report out in Edmodo how this exercise helped you. 

After our E-Linking exercise, we will discuss feasible options for your placements.  Based on your transportation and after-school commitments, each of you will have a specific list that fits your circumstances.  Once you've put together a strong list of possibilities, you'll likely be ready to prioritize your calls for Tuesday's class period.  

Tuesday

On Tuesday, I will be out of the building with a few students on school business.  Those of you who are in class will use the list you composed Monday to reach out to all the employers on your list.  Begin by contacting Nia Association and then reach out to the remaining businesses on your personalized list.  You'll log all your contacts using the Google Sheet I created.  If you have additional time in class and have any missing assignments (a few of you do), please work on completing those.  If you have no missing assignment, please work on updating your Weebly page and/or come up with some ideas you can add to your YouTube page to build your digital footprint.  If you have placements scheduled to begin in the next week or two, work on completing those last 3 pages of the PLP and help other students in their pursuit of a placement.

Wednesday

Wednesday will be role play day.  We're going to role play various scenarios you may encounter at your placements, such as angry customers, handling questions you may not know how to answer, being asked to pick up someone else's shift, requesting someone else to pick up one of your shifts, etc.  Each scenario will accompany a short discussion of whether or not the student handled the scenario properly and opportunities to re-do when necessary.

Thursday

Some of your internships are Monday through Wednesday, so you may be joining us for the first time this week.  Those of you who were out in the field Monday through Wednesday will begin class by explaining what you did at your placements.  Did you have to fill out a lot of paperwork?  Did you have to take certain safety tests?  Did you receive training of any kind?  Or did you get right to work?  You'll let us know about your week and how you like your jobs so far.  

After this, we'll ask you to help us develop other scenarios students might encounter on the job.  We'll use the remainder of the period to go over some different role play scenarios and critique each student's performance.  

Friday

Friday will be your day to provide us with a status-update on where you stand, where you wish to be moving forward, and how you plan to get there.  Those of you who have been working will type up a blog entry very similar to what you reported out in class Thursday.  You'll discuss what you did for the week, what went well, what didn't go so well, how you like your placement, and what your plans for the year are.  Those of you who will begin your placements in the next week or two will address your feelings and nerves about beginning your placement.  Use the questions above to guide your writing.  Finally, those of you who haven't yet secured a placement will discuss your plan to find a placement and detail your progress.  Again, the questions above will help frame your writing.  

I will be available for all of you if you wish to bounce questions off me or need assistance with your writing.  Please don't hesitate to call me over.  I'm here to help you.  

Let's have a great week!  See you in class.

Post-Secondary and Senior Experience Preparation:

This will be the final full week in class for many of you, and per our discussion on Friday, we've decided to focus our efforts on preparing for post-secondary experiences and preparation for our placements.  I enjoyed collaborating with you and have set forth the following goals for the week:

1. Analysis of common college and scholarship application questions
2. Completion of college and scholarship applications
1. Consultation with Guidance Department prior to submission of any applications
3. Interviews for PMG internship opportunity
1. Critique interviews 
2. Identify our four interns
4. Address proper attire for internships
1. Differentiate between school-appropriate and job-appropriate
5. Acquaint ourselves with a new partner - NIA Association
1. Learn about the organization
1. Analyze their website
2. Understand organizational goals
3. Identify employee character traits
2. Meet the CEO
3. Ask questions about internship opportunities
4. Apply for internship positions
6. Completion of N1 writing prompt

Below is a breakdown of how we will accomplish these goals:

Monday

As discussed Friday, you are to provide me with at least five commonly asked college and scholarship application questions/prompts.  Much like addressing interview questions, schools are looking for information about you that separates yourselves from other candidates.  We will analyze the questions, identify methods for differentiating you from others, develop "talking points" for your answers, and compose rough drafts for each of the questions presented.  You will create a Google Doc that will contain all the questions addressed in class and complete your drafts by the end of class.  By no means will this be a final draft, obviously, so you will use your own time to refine your work prior to submitting your essays when you fill out your applications.

Tuesday

On Tuesday, we'll acquaint ourselves with the NIA Association and then begin filling out some college and scholarship applications.  As described above, we will all visit the NIA Association website and try to learn as much about the organization.  You'll have 20 minutes to independently browse their website, noting as much as you can about what the organization is like.  The mission statement and company vision will be a good starting point for you.  

From there, your goals will be understanding the following:

• what they do
• who they serve
• where they are located
• how they present themselves

After your 20 minutes has expired, you will report out your findings to each other.  This exercise will help you formulate questions for CEO Carol Stevens when she visits us on Wednesday.  

With the remaining class time, you will begin working on your college and scholarship applications.  Because I am not an expert in this, our guidance department has graciously offered to field any of your application questions via email.  At the end of the period, you will report your progress to me.  I will simply circulate the room in the last 7 minutes of class and ask for a status update.

Wednesday

On Wednesday, Carol Stevens, CEO of the NIA Association will visit our class to discuss internship opportunities for this school year.  Dr. Heaston, current principal of Kenwood Middle School, initiated this partnership two years ago with Mrs. Stevens, and we are now able to enjoy the fruits of his labor.  Mrs. Stevens will discuss the organization in detail, explain what she is looking for in an ideal intern, and field any questions you may have regarding the opportunity.  I expect you all to have some questions for her, so please be prepared.  

After this, we will finish our internship interviews for PMG.  While observing the interviews, you are to fill out the Interview Critique Form for each interview and we will discuss the strengths and areas of improvement for each student, as well as explain why or why not the student should be considered for the position.  

Thursday

On Thursday, I will address proper attire for your placements, whether you are working at Hardees or interning in an office setting, and then allow you to work on college/scholarship applications.  After the business attire discussion, our goal is to complete at least three college and/or scholarship applications.  Because many of you have expressed an interest in completing these with class time, and since post-secondary preparation is so vital, you will again have some class time to help you meet your goals.  As previously mentioned, our guidance staff is available via email to assist you if you have any specific questions that I am unable to address.  By the end of the period, you should send me proof that you completed your applications to receive credit.

Friday

On Friday, you will complete your N1 writing prompt.  I found an article about workplace harassment that can help you prior to beginning your placement.  Because I will be out of the building, your assignment will be posted in Edmodo.  I've included a link to the article and the scoring rubric in this post and in Edmodo.  Your prompts must be submitted to Edmodo to receive credit.  

That's it for this week.  For many of you, I'll only see you once or twice a week moving forward, so let's make the most of our time together.  

Senior Experience: Find Your Placement to Begin Your Journey

This week, we will focus on applying for and securing our Senior Experience positions for the 2016-17 school year.  At this time, we have less than three weeks before you have to go out into the working world and begin your internships or jobs.  In order to prepare, I am going to outline the requirements for the internship opportunity at Premier Medical and discuss how you can prepare for a job interview.  The internship posting will be found in Edmodo and the link for your application, which will be a Google Form I create, will be available on Wednesday.  By Friday, everyone in the class will have a plan of action for your Senior Experience placement.  Please see below for a breakdown of our weekly tasks:

Tuesday:

Clear Target: We can create an effective employment profile

When class begins, you will need to list at least three possible Senior Experience positions you feel you could fill in the next three weeks.  Those of you who have your internships secured will list them and share out exactly how you earned them.  Hopefully this sheds some light as to how the rest of you might be able to acquire your positions. 

In order to prepare for your applications and interviews, different students who work part-time jobs will explain how they got hired at different places, such as Hardees or Baskin Robins.  We will discuss common interview questions, how to answer them, and when to mention that you wish to utilize your position as a placement for your Senior Experience (hint: it doesn’t come up when you’re interviewing or immediately after they hire you).  We’ll role play a few scenarios and prepare for our job applications throughout our double period.

Wednesday:

Clear Target: We can create an effective employment profile

Today we’ll review the information required to apply for the internship with Premier.  We’ll review our own competencies and see how closely our work with the academy and our extracurricular activities align with the knowledge, skills, and abilities that the employer wants in a job applicant.

During class on Wednesday, I’ll outline 10 common interview questions that you may encounter, along with strategies for answering them effectively.  After our discussion, I’m going to put a few of you on the spot to try and answer these questions to the best of your ability.  As a class, we’ll analyze and critique your answers to prepare you for when the real thing happens. 

Thursday:

Clear Target: We can create an effective employment profile

First, if we have not yet completed our interview lesson, we will finish that up in the beginning of the period. From there, Thursday is going to be a work day. During class, you will work independently on the following projects:

1.    Finalize your resume (if necessary): Try to include a QR code in your contact information (header) on your resume.

2.    Apply for job openings: With our time in class, you will identify different jobs that are available or reach out to different offices where you wish to intern/work.  You will make use of online job searches, reach out to local businesses, and determine potential destinations for your Senior Experience. Once you’ve found the job postings, use what you learned in class to apply for your desired job/internship.

3.    Refine your portfolio: Those of you who wish to work for Premier need to have a strong understanding of the artifacts you currently have in your physical portfolio.  Be prepared to use them in your answers to some of the behavioral questions you might be asked on your interview. 

4.    Update your personal website and blog: To date, you should have two blog entries completed and published, five tabs/pages built into your personal website, and some awards or certificates loaded in the appropriate page of your site.  If this is not yet completed, please make the necessary updates.

By the end of the period, I expect all of these projects to be complete.  This requires you to work diligently, so remain focused and commit to finish strong.

Friday:

Clear Target: We can analyze and critique a business interview

Today we will conduct interviews for all the students who wish to apply for the internship with Premier.  Any student interested in the internship should have completed the application (Google Form) and be prepared for an interview in class.  Students should dress appropriately, have a resume available to share with the interviewer, bring a portfolio that can be highlighted throughout the interview, and have a list of references available if necessary. 

During the interview, students will fill out the Interview Critique Form by highlighting things that went well, what could have been done differently, and explain why they would or wouldn’t hire the interviewee for the position.  Today’s class will hopefully be helpful for everyone as they prepare for their interviews.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask me in class or email me.  My goal for this week is to have everybody set up for interviews for their Senior Experience so they can have their placements secured by 9/16. You are a strong group and I’m confident we will meet our deadline.