Take Charge A SelfDetermination Curriculum at Work

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Take Charge! A Self-Determination Curriculum at
Work

• Jennifer Benson and Kelsey Kendrick
• Transitions Coordinators
• Learning Opportunities/Quality Works, Inc.

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What is Job Club?

• Student answers
• We learn about interviews
• Resumes
• Teaches us how to get a job
• Youre going to get us a job?
• Gets us out of class
• Our Definition
• An interactive, hands-on learning environment.
  The opportunity to learn job skills, promote
  teamwork, and emphasize self-determination.

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Why start a Job Club in the schools?

• Statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor
• Total of people with disabilities aged 16-64 is
  33,153,211. Of those, the total number employed
  is 18,525,862, or 55.8.
  
• Most of the students we worked with had little or
  no work experience. Some have never filled out a
  job application and most have never completed a
  job interview.

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Why start a Job Club in the schools?

• Whats in it for us?
• Marketing
• Build relationships
• with the schools
• Increased referrals

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Where do we begin?

• Meet with schools
• Funding
• Grants
• Fundraisers
• School Funds

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Self-Determination

• What does it mean?
• A combination of skills, knowledge, and beliefs
  that enable a person to engage in goal directed,
  self-regulated, autonomous behavior.

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Self-Determination

• Why use it? Why is it important?
• Studies have consistently found that students
  with disabilities often achieve less than desired
  outcomes after completing special education
  programs.
• Research has shown that helping students acquire
  and exercise self-determination skills is a
  strategy that leads to more positive educational
  outcomes.

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Creating a Curriculum

• Things to discuss before job club begins
• Topics to be covered
• Number of students
• Ability level of students
• Schedule

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Creating a Curriculum

• Things to consider
• Who will teach the job club?
• In what order should topics be discussed?
• How do you incorporate self-determination?
• How do you engage high school students and
  motivate them to participate?

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CANDY!
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Job Club Topics Outline

• Introduction
• Interests
• Resumes/Applications
• Job Search

• On the Job Behavior
• Money Management
• Interviews

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Lesson 1 Getting to Know Yourself

• Introductions Names and Dream Jobs
• Completed Getting to Know Yourself worksheet

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Getting to Know Yourself worksheet
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Lesson 1 Getting to Know Yourself

• Grouped into Job Club Teams. Created team name
  and signs.
  
• Distributed Folders

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Lesson 2 Interest Inventory

• Completed an interest inventory.
• Hands-on, NO pencil and paper
• Note Tried a more complicated form but found
  this one worked better.

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Explorer Interest Inventory
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Lesson 2 Interest Inventory

• Split into groups by colors.
• Each group described their career personality
  type and gave examples of careers that fit into
  their type.
  

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Lesson 3 Resumes/Applications

• PowerPoint and lecture on what a resume is and
  why it is important. Modified version discussed
  applications.
  
• Students completed a resume worksheet/filled out
  an application together.
  
• Resume/Application game place the scrambled
  items in the correct section on the blank
  celebrity resume Britney Spears

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Lesson 4 The Job Search

• PowerPoint and lecture on the Job Search. Topics
  discussed included location, skills, interests,
  and education/traning.
  
• Activity to get students into pairs for game.
• Job Club BINGO. Each space included a picture of
  a career person. Descriptions were read aloud and
  students played like regular BINGO. When a
  student called BINGO, he or she went down the row
  and told us where they could find each job, and
  what skills, education, or training were required
  before receiving their prize.

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Lesson 5 Work Behaviors

• PowerPoint and Lecture on Work Behaviors.
• Topics included personal hygiene, appearance,
  attendance, attitude, behavior, and communication.

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Lesson 5 Activity

• Each team was given a scenario to be acted out in
  front of the class. They were asked to first
  demonstrate the incorrect way, then the correct
  way to handle that situation. Props were provided
  to enhance the performances and promote
  creativity.

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Lesson 6 Money Management

• Lesson and PowerPoint on Money Management.
  Students were given a packet containing
  information on budgeting, checking accounts, and
  resources for more information. Students were
  shown a short video on money management topics.
• Students divided into teams and played a quiz
  show game with questions related to the lecture.
  Each team held up a card with their answer and
  correct answers were awarded a point.

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Lesson 7 The Job Interview

• Discussed all aspects of a job interview.
  Students received a list of typical interview
  questions and a booklet from the Career Center
  containing interview information.
• Students were divided into teams and played a
  quiz show game with buzzers. Students answered a
  combination of actual interview questions, and
  true/false, multiple choice or fill-in-the-blank
  questions related to the lecture.
• Students were informed that they would be
  completing mock interviews the following month.

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Interview Questions

• Tell me about yourself.
• Tell me about your previous work experience.
• Tell me about your last supervisor.
• What do you do outside of school and work?
• As an employee, what are your strengths? What are
  your weaknesses?
  
• Where do you see yourself five years from now?

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Lesson 8 Mock Interviews

• Students reviewed interview basics and final
  questions were answered.
  
• Students completed a mock interview with local
  employers. Interviewers filled out an evaluation
  form to let students know what they did well and
  what areas could be improved.

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Evaluation Form
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Lesson 8 Mock Interviews

• Modified version for lower ability classes
  employer interviews.

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What did they say?

• Student feedback
• Teacher feedback
• Our opinion

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Other Options for Job Clubs

• Take Charge Curriculum
• Another Self-Determination Curriculum
• Daily Life, Education, Career, Recreation
  Friendship
  
• Set Goals, Make Allies, Problem-Solve, Self
  Esteem
  

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Other Options for Job Clubs

• Portfolios
• What is a portfolio?
• What is it used for? Why create one?
• What should be included in a high school
  portfolio?

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Sources

• (2000). Statistics on the employment rate of
  people with disabilities. Retrieved April 26,
  2007, from U.S. Department of Labor Web site
  http//www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/stats.html
• Alwell, M. Cobb, B. (2006, December). Teaching
  functional life skills to youth with disabilites.
  Retrieved April 26, 2007, from National Secondary
  Transition Technical Assistance Center
• Field, S., Martin, J., Miller, R., Ward, M., and
  Wehmeyer, M. Self-determination for person wtih
  disabilities a position statement of the
  division on career development and transitions.
  Retrieved April 27, 2007, from Division on Career
  Development and Transition Web site
  http//www.dcdt.org/pdf/self-deter.pdf
• Loprest, P., Maag, E. (2001). Barriers and
  supports for work among adults wtih disabilities
  Results from teh NHIS-D.Washington, DC The Urban
  Institute.