CAREER PATH
How to Help Your Child Identify Their Best Career Fit
I found this topic very pragmatic for " People Development" Every anthropoid having unique personality, and sometimes it very enigma. Only need to understand the uniqueness.... Below content I have taken from web engine and it's also my research part....
This career guide is a collection of articles that will enable all entities (parents, teachers, and educationists) shape the future of the children. This is also a useful guide for students and young adults to understand their learning styles and aptitude that will help them to take the right career decision for themselves.
For young adults (Age group: 18 years and above)
Understanding Natural Traits of Young Adults
We all know that every individual is different and possess different character traits, which come to them naturally. So what exactly is your character trait? Basically character traits are something that define you - like you define the people around you be it your family members, friends, peers or even the characters on television. You may notice that there are some people who tend to be very honest and sincere while there are others who are sneakier and more stubborn. So these are the natural character traits that they are born with.But like many other things in life - these character traits can be changed for the better. So if you want to succeed in a job or make a career out of a subject that you are not very good at, working hard is a character trait that will help you in the process. Then there are also negative or bad character traits that may influence your life too but may be for bad.
Different Types of Character Traits
When you say things like they showed their true color, you are referring to a bad character trait. Remember that our vocabulary is filled with words for describing different kinds of people and it is this choice of words that you can use too fro describing yourself.Good traits include:
Some negative character traits include:
Building and understanding good character traitsThe very notion of understanding and building your character traits is rather interrelated. Once you are able to understand your inherent traits, you can implement measures on improving them for your betterment. For doing so, you will have to assess yourself from the perspective of others - especially your family members, friends and peers. Doing so or asking them to be honest about your traits is the first step here. As you are about to venture out into a professional world there or even head into university, you will be judged by these character traits. Building and developing ones that benefit you socially, emotionally and professionally would be the first step here.
How to understand your traits?
Ask Others or Self Analyze As mentioned above, the first thing that you can do is ask peers, family members and friends for help. You can also do a self-analysis of putting yourself in a situation and see how would you react. For instance, if there is a fire would you help others or just escape first yourself. If you think of escaping and then calling the fire engine or finding modes outside to assist others - that’s being sensible and yet kind. If you just escape without looking back it would be a thoughtless and mean gesture. On the other hand if you chose to stay inside and help others - that’s being selfless. There is no right or wrong here - just an inherent trait.Taking TestsMost schools have counseling and personality tests taken when students pass out of high school. You can connect with your university or counselor to find out about the same. Through these tests, you will be able to answer questions similar to the above. These tests are based on social and psychological overviews to judge and analyze your natural character traits.The results determine your inherent nature and character traits and once you are aware of them, you can implement measures for improving
Improving your character traits
Define your core valuesOne of the first steps for enhancing your natural character traits would be determining your values for your professional and personal life. Remember that the values you have are the core fundamentals for laying the foundation of priorities, choices, actions, and behaviors. Take time out and make a list of these values either on a notepad or even in the mind. You can now reflect and think on how you need to improve these traits.Practice the habitsOnce you pick on the traits that you think you lack and feel inspired by others, then you should try to practice them for several weeks. So offer your roommate to do laundry a couple of times this week or take out that helpful girl for a drink or help her out with something that she needs. Doing or implementing these little changes in life would help you in working on character traits that enhance your personal and professional life - in particular as you are about to venture out looking for jobs. Keep a list to remind you of the same.Finding people with characterAs mentioned above, there are people all around you who have character traits that are impressive and also good. It is just that we are so involved in our personal traits that are selfish in nature that we forget to appreciate these. So how about making a list of all these people who are there to influence you in a positive way and then motivate yourself to be like them. You should be in the company of people who urge you to strive for higher in terms of personality and nature rather than merely after running materialistic goods. Once these traits are developed and worked upon, you will notice that success follows suit.Taking a few risksWhen it comes to improving or enhancing your natural character traits, there is no denying that some risks are going to be involved. You might realize that you have to wake up early to study a little more as you spent time doing laundry or that taking out a friend for a drink means that you cannot go to see that movie. But these are not really risks but a small compromise. However, striving towards higher avenues needs commitment and dedication. So yes, a few comprises and risks have to be taken here but in the end, it helps you evolve as a better human being.Stretch and push yourselfIt is very easy to set high goals, the tough part is attaining them. And it is here that you have to set and create high standards for yourself along with big goals. Sure there will be days when you don’t feel like doing things and these are setbacks and occasional failures. But the idea is that you have to head towards a bigger goal, which can be accomplished only by giving yourself a gentle push.Commit to self-improvementThe next step is that you have to be committed to yourself. Self-commitment is going to be the biggest step that you take when it comes to changing yourself. Keep in mind that building your character is a life-long endeavor. You will have to deal with some failures along with enjoying some winning moments here too. It is the time where you will be embracing yourself for achieving or doing that extra bit to enhance your natural traits and on the other hand there will be days when you happily accept failure. The important step here is to get up again and keep trying. Remember it is very easy to let go and falter. But with a little effort you will naturally improve, even through the failures.Your job and natural character traitOften, your job is not really suited with your personality and doesn’t fit your natural character traits. There are a lot of people who are take up a particular job and later they discover that they really don’t have a knack for the same. Think of a shy and introvert person being assigned a job where they have to hit a particular number of sales figures or work in a PR company. On the ther hand a person who likes to travel is given a desk job is bound to hate his job sooner or later.On the whole the end result would be that the individual is not really happy with their job when a person's personality doesn't fit the same. It is like a lose-lose situation for each one. However, this also means that you are not really putting your 100% into the job and this results in increased absenteeism, low productivity, and loss of any investment in training if one decides to switch jobs. There are some basic or inheret natural personality traits that are associated with your professional life. So in this reference, as you are about to head into a new career or choose a course for college, knowing them can help you pick a more sensible choice.Understanding the ModelThis model is also known as 'The Big Five Personality Traits'' model, which is based on intensive research dating back to the late 1950s. However, it was only a few decades later that the same was given shape by Lewis Goldberg, a researcher at the Oregon Research Institute. It focuses on-
Understanding these abilities and traits will help you in assessing your natural traits for a suitable professional career. What can be done here is that you can make an attempt to implement changes to make yourself more suitable for a particular goal. But on the whole, your focus should be to make changes in your natural character traits and adapt better ones for being a better professional and a human being too.
Core Competencies of Young Adult
A core competency is defined as the unique characteristic or capability that an individual possesses. In the professional world, an 18 year old would want to be familiar with their core competencies so that they are able to get the competitive advantage in the marketplace. Identifying and having knowledge of your core competencies helps to deliver value to customers along with making a significant contribution towards overall growth - not for yourself but the company you choose to work with too. But core competencies are not a single quality or feature that you possess. They are actually the total fundamental knowledge you have along with the ability or expertise in a specific subject area or skill set.
Common Core Competencies that Individuals Have
These are some of the most common core competencies that individuals have, you can identify yours on a general basis.
How to identify your core competencies?
Easier said than done, identifying your core competencies that are going to shape your professional career is not that difficult.BrainstormingOne of the first steps that you have to take here is brainstorm and identify your inherent positive character traits. You can consult with friends and family members on the same or even consult with a counselor or career psychologist to help you in the same. What are the areas that your passion lies in and are you really good at them. For instance, passionate about football or soccer is great - but if you have the business acumen to think about the next greatest start-up, it is you who would be deciding which of these core competencies you want to choose. So sit down and make a list of all thee thinks that are would influence your decision-making points.Scan your competenciesOnce you are done with this process the next step is to screen and then assess these on the basis of counseling, tests and even application in the real world. Remember that how relevant your competencies are in the business arena makes a lot of difference. When scanning your competencies, ask yourself these questions-When and how were you able to demonstrate this competency?One of the first things that you should do here is plan out or make a list of everyday examples where you were able to put these competences in to action. Think of something as simple as social responsibility. If you are given the duty of taking care of your little brother/ sister or even baby-sit - are you able to actually do this task with enthusiasm. Something like serving food to the homeless on weekends - how good are you with this? If you can add up a few things like this on the list, then may be you have what it takes to manage people well.Rank yourself on a scale of 1-5If you think that you know your area of mastery for any of these competencies, then the next task would be assessing yourself and giving yourself a rank from 1-5. Simply put, 1-3 are poor scores and then anything above 4 would be a developing competency and 5 means that you are an expert. Now, you are going to be ranking yourself so cheating is not really going to help you out. You have to be true about ranking yourself and ensure that you are being honest. Else, you will just be deceiving yourself. And even if you score low, the good thing would be that you can analyze your competency and develop the same.Think or analysis on how you chose your competency rank?The next factor here would be how you chose your competency rank and decided to give yourself that score. Was it because others appreciated you on the same that made you realize that you can do well on this aspect? If you think that you are the master of something, how would you judge yourself on the same? Self-analysis is perhaps the best way to undermine these scores because you are testing your real potential. For instance, if your core competency lies in teamwork then are you being a mentor and guide to your team members or are you a team player. Do you feel that your team members are happy working with you?Identifying gaps in your mastery of the competencyIn case you have given yourself poorer scores or something that needs to be developed on, then what were the reasons for it? Knowing these reasons behind the lapse of good scores can help you to maximize your potential. Remember that if you want to improve and develop a particular core competency then you have to identify and work on these gaps.Addressing the competency gapsAddressing the gaps that you find in these competencies is essential for your overall professional development plan for improving upon your mastery of this competency. When you address these gaps you should ask yourself how you plan on heading to the next step. Does it include reading more or interning to gain experience and develop these skills. Would you want to pursue some vocation or educational course that will help you in the same? On the whole, you would have to set yourself some gentle reminders for incorporating this competency into your personal and leadership activities.When you are unable to identify your core competenciesDon’t worry. It happens. You are about to kick start a new career and are just around 18 so you are not expected to be an ace in managing and analyzing these areas that well. So if the above steps are leaving you confused or you are not sure that you have not been able to identify them, the best way would be to go ahead with a psychological or counseling test. Doing so will give you a professional and analytical perspective into what your core competencies are. Often, confusion, peer pressure, relationship stress, etc. prove to be a hindrance in determining the same. So don’t worry.When you want to develop an average competencyOften, individuals may not really ace at a particular core competency or find that they are the jack of many trades but master of none. In such cases, the idea is to find and shortlist some competencies that you seem to be passionate about or have a knack for. Then you should make a list of the ones that are most likely to give you the best career kick and then develop them. Your motto is to be able to develop and work to build them. For those who are already working, you can also make a list of the contribution you have made toward the company and then focus on them. Try and focus on clearing down time so that you can pinpoint on core competences.
Developing your core competencies To develop any kind of core competency, you need a core strategy. The idea is that you should be able to put in your best efforts to enhance these core skills in the long run. Remember that you might not really have the best of the skills or the resources to do particular task, but developing a core strategy is something that can help you in getting beyond the usual. For instance, if you are looking into getting into the service or the personal relations area of management, you would need to emphasize and work on more than just management skills. You have to be well spoken and handle crisis situations. In this reference, think of what you would have done at home? If there was a squabble with your friends or with your siblings were you good at working things out or chose to pick the safer route. You can take courses on management, communication, etc. So here your inherent strategy would be education to help you get a firmer grasp over a particular skill. ? Your core strategy doesn’t have to be around education all the time. In fact, there is a good chance that if you implement simple changes in your life and incorporate or make these competencies more of a practice or habit, you are likely to succeed at the same. So here’s an action plan in developing your core strategies Facilitation of discussions and brainstorming with a management team - In this case, your management team can be your parents, friends and other family members who are perhaps more aware of your core competencies as compared to yourself. If not them, then you can ask your teacher or counselor at school to help out. The first phase of this session will help you get a list of ideas that you can use as core strategies. But what you choose finally is your personal decision. The next step here would be finding new growth opportunities in contiguous markets. If you are about to enter college and still have some time around, do some internships and get summer jobs. Getting first hand experience of the market is perhaps the best way to actually work out a strategy. Practical experience does go a long way as compared to just working on theory. This you can also get first-hand exposure to things you may want to like staring your own business, venturing into sales or other similar professions that enhance your competency. Often, some people are really unable to finalize or come to the point of focusing on one core competency. On a personal basis it is really difficult to come up with truly unique core competences, especially when you have a limited set of time. But working on the above strategies and developing unique core competences. For instance, you may find that you have to choose between a career that you are passionate about - and something that you really good at but are not passionate. So in this case, your core competencies are in your favor - but which one would you chose to develop is a dilemma. Not experiencing success Some people tend to have a knack for a particular profession or competency. But the problem is that you don’t really say yourself succeeding in the same. It could be a fading market or there are job restrictions or not enough jobs and professions available in that particular area. So you would have to make do with things. So either you venture into another field that is satisfying monetarily or you pick a path that you know would not really be lucrative in the long run. In this case, it makes more sense into developing core competences that are relevant, real and sustainable in the long run. Not doing well in some competencies If you are lucky enough to have more than one core competency, the chances are that you are probably not excellent in all of them. Your math and analytic skills might be awesome but you are not that good a presenter or are unable to give shape to a particular idea that comes to your mind. In such cases, the next best thing to do would be learns and educates yourself with techniques that help you in overcoming this issue. And even if you are not able to attain complete success in all of your core competencies it doesn’t matter. At this young 18 ages, you will get plenty of chances to learn and move up the ladder. On the whole, it is very easy to know your core competencies because it comes by instinct more than anything else. But will these competencies help you move up the career graph in the long run is a question that you need to work on. And if you feel that it will, then developing these competencies using modes of education, practice and dedication can gradually take you there. Remember that at the end of the day, it is these competencies that will give you the competitive advantage in the long run. So market yourself on those strengths.
Career Path of Young Adults
It is all about following your passion - choosing a career seems to be an easy decision, at first. If you would look more closely, and if you were going to analyze it better, you would see that finding the best career to choose is quite tougher than what you have thought. This is a very crucial decision that everyone has to make.? With the dozens of career options that are made available for you, it is quite hard to decide on which path you should choose. People who have been having difficulties choosing their career have found one better way to solve their problem, and this may simply work for you too.There was a time when there were taboos associated with some careers but that is really not the case now. Today, careers are chosen on the basis of your competencies and likeness for a particular field instead of just going by the regular norms. So the first thing that you should do here is understand and explore whether you are taking the right path or not. You may think that you seem to like a particular subject, but do you have the core competencies or skills to deal with their explicit nature?Here are some questions that you should ask yourself prior to choosing a career path based on likeness and competencies - and help you uncover your hidden passions, while combining the realities of life-What do you like and love?When it comes to the passion question, you are really in a dilemma at times because in most cases, there are more than one thing that you love and want to pursue. The benefit here is that you have more than one career option to pursue so you have some room for experimentation. Often the problem is that if you have aspirations and a likeness for a particular career, you will not be able to pursue the same due to constraints like finances, unavailability of the right education, etc. But the thing is that if you are really confident about a particular path of career, you can make it happen. Here you have to take a chance with your skill inventory and try out different modes of counseling, mock tests, etc. to see if you really have the knack for the same. Ask friends and family members to guide you here because they know what your inherent skills are.Action Plan - Make a checklist of your tentative career options and then proceed asking friends and family or even your counsellor to guide you on this. Narrowing down your options makes it easier to pick a choice as per your passion and likeness.Are you ready to take risksOne problem that a lot of youngsters often face is that they choose careers that are safer subconsciously, terming it as their passion. In general, any student getting out of college or choosing a career post college is promotion-focused and prevention-focused. Those who are focussed on promotion are the usual classic creatives and entrepreneurs. They are the ones who make the most of the available opportunities and are optimistic. Then there are ones who are focused on prevention. Their mantra is status quo and everything they do is prevention-oriented thinking. No right or wrong exists here. So along with your likeness explore this competency.Action Plan- Take a test to determine this attitude or if you are certain about being more of a safe player, choose a path that meets your intrinsic nature.A suitable environment for your passion to thriveAn array of personality tests is conducted to find out the right kind of environment for you to thrive in. Remember that a shy person may like to pursue a career as a scientist but wants to stay in the background as a researcher. And then there are some more extroverts who choose public speaking and frontal roles in this process. So along with your inherent traits and likeness for a particular subject, your inherent personality is highly contributory. Depending on your personality type that is extroverts and introverts, this decision is made. Author Susan Cain of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, says that both 'introverts and extroverts can both thrive in roles better suited for the opposite personality type’’. So here it is your passion that takes the lead and pushes your competencies to a whole new level.Action plan- Don’t let your shyness be a hindrance in choosing a career path that involves facing the masses or interacting with people regularly. As you pursue a career that you love and are passionate about, you will naturally overcome this issue.Does your career likeness meet your financial demands?A sad but unfortunate question that you must ask is whether your passion and competencies for a particular skill meet your lifestyle demands and cover your financial expenses. There are going to be some stringent years of hard work and you would be awarded later for the same. But are you willing to compromise on those initial years and sacrifice on your lifestyle? Consider the amount of control you will have over your own time, your salary and the amount of travel involved, among other factors. If you have a loan to repay or some other financial responsibilities, you need to device a plan for picking a career path that is closest to what you like but is also rewarding.Action Plan- Workout the kind of lifestyle you had imagined for yourself. Does it include traveling, eating out and partying, a house of your own - then you need to make a tentative budget around this and see if the career you like is at par with the same. If not, then are you willing to live simply and compromise on this lifestyle. If a quite apartment in the suburbs is your style then you can settle for something that satisfies your passion but pays lower.Where do you want to live?You have a passion for gardening, farming, etc. but you are currently living in a city like NY. Then the chances are that you will have to relocate and give up on many luxuries. Moving to a place closer to the suburbs or where farming and similar activities thrive are ideal. Similarly some careers may require you to keep traveling so much that you will not really have a real home like photography or wildlife, etc. Along with your passion for that career, workout the geographical, social and economical changes that you will have to pick.Action plan- Think about these pros and cons before pursuing a career option. More than often, you will notice that they are not really a hindrance if you have the right combination of passion and competencies for a particular career.Are these your goals?If you are one of those people in life who always knew what you wanted to do as a child, then you are luck that you can identify your career path and pursue the same with inherent competencies. There are some for whom goals are all about saving lives, working with animals and kind of other similar charity work. Then there are some who want to earn lots of money become movie stars, business personnel, etc. But no goal is too big or small. If you have it in mind, you can make it actionable.Action plan- At the end of the day, it is all about placing your self-discovery path together and work on how you can put together things that you like and your core competencies.Some hindrances that you may face-Careers based on valuesAre there any values that you cherish a lot and are dear to you? Often, one finds that the core values and principles are the most difficult to tackle, in terms of religious beliefs with which you live your life. But the thing is that religious, family and social values should be a part of your influencing factors and not a hindrance to the career you choose.Peer or family pressureDon’t just seem to take a liking for a particular subject because your brother or sister aced the same. Often, you will see many generations of the same family members become doctors or engineers because their forefathers were so. On the other hand, some just take on their family business for the sake of convenience, rather than picking an interest. Family is there to guide you and help you in this process. Don’t let your career path get restricted because of some tradition or norm that has been going on in your family.RelationshipsAgain, right now everything seems to be focused around the love of your life. And if choosing a career path that you like takes you away from them, you might reconsider other options. The point here is that if you are in love with someone, choosing a career you like has nothing to do with the same. Relationships do continue over a period of long distances and gaps. So instead of just shunning a career opportunity that you are passionate about, think about ways to work things out.Career guide and counselingYou can use a career guide or counselor to understand your core competency for a particular career. There is a particular career guide for each job description. Sometimes, these guides can even give you some tips on the things that you would expect with this particular job, and give you some suggestions on the career options that are best for your personality and for the education that you’ve finished as well. This guide also includes a detailed plan on the things for when you are deciding on your career. If you are looking for a career guide, make sure that the guide would also discuss the different companies and the things that you can expect at the same time.There are different career options available for you – but remember, you should make up your mind and choose only one career. This is the best way towards success, and you should take this seriously – make a decision and think about it more than just a couple of times. This is the path that will shape your future.
Hobbies Becoming Careers
Don't you just love watching Masterchef Australia and see the home cooks, with a passion for cooking, turn this hobby into a career. Doing something that you are ardent about is intriguing and motivating. But it can also be lucrative monetary wise if you put in a bit of handwork along with creativity. Here are some hobbies that can be converted to careers-?CookingHave a passion for cooking? Then with the least investments you can start off with home deliveries, home restaurant or even take part in one of these cooking competitions. Another idea would be to start off classes at home, which can be done on weekends and during free time. If it works you can make it a full time career.GamingYou love professional video games and playing but how about getting into making and creating your own games. This works for puzzles and video games too (if you have knowledge of animation). Making creative games is the latest fad as people want something newer. Think of new options as a video game tester or trying out and creating new board games too.MusicBe it a local band or simply singing, music is something that everyone enjoys. But if it is more than a hobby for you, think about this as a serious career. You can even join the armed forces and be a part of their music band! You can teach music or become a DJ to play mixes. You can also manage musical events or organize birthdays and weddings as part of the music team.BloggingIf you have a flair of writing or taking pictures, then blogging is the new career option. You can consider creating your own website or making your own blog. Write about travel experiences, places to see or write movie or gadget reviews or post interesting recipes. You can also post pictures and photographs, especially if you have a passion for photography too.GardeningOrganic gardening has become a rage these days as people want fresh and healthy food. Think about a home garden that caters to neighborhood markets for organic products. You can also grow flowers or become a landscape designer.
Vlogging
World is no more camera shy. Now shooting videos is not only a passion but a good career choice too. There many video creators who make unique videos and publish online. Video Blogging or Vlogging is one of the top career choice to make name and fame. If you love watching and making motion pictures Vlogging could be preferred career for you.
Social Networking
Social media is on the rise. Old era has nearly gone out of the winds. Now people like to keep connected with family, friends and work group. In addition, social media give the power to connect to complete unknown persons, match interests and build friendly relations. The social media is extremely powerful. You can match your interests with as many people as you wish and get known. Once you become a Social Media Face, you can make use of Social Networking to earn handsome revenue. If you learn and do it right you can earn massive money from social media uses.
Alternative Career for Young Adults
?At 18, with your mind filled with creative ideas and the zeal to do something different, your career plans reflect a positive and enthusiastic attitude. And in all probabilities, you would definitely succeed and ace them. However, it is crucial to have backup or alternate career plan if your first career fails? It is true that having an alternate career option is a boon because you might have a teeny-weeny risk of not succeeding or doing well in the first one. We all like to travel or take the path less taken, but somewhere around this line, you might feel that you are not really on the right path.Now is the time to get your plan B sorted out! Remember that in any academic circle, you will come across talks of having an alternate career ready for graduate students. Even when you are in college or planning on doing your degree, it is vital to have this little brainstorming session with yourself - and preferably with family or friends.
Demand vs Supply
Right from the time you are working on a graduation or post graduation plan, you need to be prepared with an alternate career. Your passion and love for a subject is very much genuine, but in general, you have to think on the practical front too. Often it happens that at 18, you just think of your likeness or inherent competency for a particular subject, but you also have to evaluate that will you get a lucrative job in that field after passing out of college? For instance, you may want to pursue a career in history, then do your masters and doctorate and become a professor. But tenure-track professor positions jobs are rather less as compared to the relative to the number of candidates. In recent years, it has been noted that openings in colleges and universities have come down, as compared to the number of students graduating or majoring. In 2009-10, there were 989 PhDs in History in the U.S but only 569 jobs were available in academia.Another aspect to consider plan B is if you don’t really like your job or career path later on life. True that right now a particular sport or even a subject is the best thing that you can imagine. But what about a year down the line, when you lose interest. You may have often heard of people switching to alternate careers in 40s and 50s. The bottom line here is that the mind can change and you may develop a zeal for another subject or career option. Your creativity and unique mindset can be put to good use. Your psychology tests may reflect your inherent competencies to be in the field of art, for instance. But one fine day you might suddenly discover that you are beginning to love writing and have a flair for it!
Socio-economic conditions for failure of first career
When growing up, it is possible that you had a poor economic background or come from a family that struggled to have the ends meet. So going by this, you worked out a plan or education option that would take care of this. Again, how lucrative would a business be for you in the long run is something that you must evaluate. It could be possible that you might want to make a switch rather than stick to a business. Similarly, you might reverse this thought process too.
Other factors for failure of first career-
For individuals, who really like to play it safe, even plan C, D, etc. come into action. And there is really no harm in having a back up. Be it sports or any other field in the world, there is always a back up! You should focus on making a list of career option that put your skills and talents to good use. The exact idea is that "creativity is connecting the unconnected." as John Maxwell correctly stated. All that you have to do is make an attempt to find the connection between your courses, experiences, and the careers you're considering. Remember at the end of the day, this is just a back up or alternate career option that you may want to really consider! It could be something totally different from the field you are in right now, but for the 18 years and above age group, there is still so much to explore and find out. Here are 12 steps to broadening your mindset and setting aside an alternate career plan.
Plan and organize
The earlier you make a plan, the better it is. Preferably right along when you start college or are about to would be the ideal time. The first thing you hold keep in mind here would be that all employers are interested in executive functioning skills. So this includes your potential to organize tasks, stick to deadlines, follow through on initiatives, etc. Your first step is the mastery of these skills and what better use to them than sorting out some career alternates.
Leverage your skills
Take out the time to make a skills inventory and identify the skills you currently use. Next, take out your career portfolio, which has a tab of all your reviews, awards, recognitions, certifications and special achievements. Compare these and work on the skills that you would need to optimize and leverage. Often, we forget our skills in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. But if you are prepared about your alternative skills, you would find a path to leverage them.
Research
Now with the advent of the Internet and so many tools to facilitate your research, you just need to take a couple of days apart and work on finding some alternate career fields. Research on the kind of career fields you might have, the kind of job options and success rates, etc. You can in fact begin in your department itself. Suppose you were not able to teach as a professor then what other profession can you put these skills to use? Think of something creative like may be helping in a museum or even helping in researching on an epic movie! Start off with a listing of recent graduates' employment. Your research can also include some other seniors who passed out with similar careers. Get in touch with them social media modes and see where they are headed.
Start making connections
If somewhere along the line you already know that you have a potential alternate career in mind, then you should definitely think of making connections in that line. For instance, if you know that you want to switch jobs just 6 months into getting one, make a rapport not only with your colleagues but older friends, ex-classmates or batch mates. They are the ones who can help in getting you another job. From them, you can get more information about the current market scenario, how things are placed and even moving up the ladder.
Get your references
Post this, begins the task of developing strong and varied references. There is a chance that you might not have thought of this earlier, but the concept of making and keeping references starts right during your college years. If you were not able to get strong references from your department, then you can think of getting back and getting in touch with the professors and get some. Remember recommendations are a pillar or foundation for your alternate path. You should also depict your ability to connect what you have done with the non-academic world.? The reference letter is not really a book, just a few a few words that praise your skills. The entire idea is to make a connecting with your new interviewer.
Work on additional costs
When it comes to pursuing an alternate career, you might consider switching your degree too. In particular, you may feel that you need to change or alter your career path right on the verge of starting a new degree. But pursuing a new degree would require some additional funds. It is true that you will be losing out on some money right now, but it is better to make the right decision at the younger age of 18 years rather than making the switch later. So you should set aside some time to work out what new career you want to pursue and a degree cost based on that. Additionally, you can pursue a dual degree too and opt for an online course. This would not only work out cheaper, but since most of these courses are part time, you have the option to work full time too.
Lookout for internships/ part time jobs
In this reference, you must also seek opportunities for doing internships or part time jobs during this period. The entire reason of switching to an alternate career means a big change. Taking a part time job or doing an internship at this level would help you understand if you really want to make that switch. Doing an internship provides a list or approximate idea on whether to or not pursue another career alternate, later on in life. Plus, internships will give you connections, references, and thus help you in getting a job. Obviously it would mean a little extra and added effort right now, but you would be setting your base demonstrate your inherent skills during the training process.
Develop and update your skills
Boost your skill set to be eligible for an alternative career. So you are already well versed or possess a management degree, so update your computer skills, specifically word processing, Excel, and PowerPoint. Take the time out to invest in social media and creating a brand. If you were planning a switch over or starting a new business, this skill set would help you go a long way.
Join professional job listings
Of course, new job offers are not going to just fly into your e-mails. You have to work your way there. So sign up or look at the variety of job options available on social networks, employment offices and websites. Doing so will give you newer prospects in life that can be a great alternate career path for you.
Expand your career network
So you already have a plan B and made a gist of all the things that you want or expect from a new career. Now is the time to expand on your career. Remember that you are going to need as many inputs as possible in this reference. You can include your colleagues and friends in this arena to create a study group who would work together and also improve their career focus. You can support teach other with job leads, share new ideas, help with researches, job suggestions, etc.
Work on the time span
A back up plan is something that you should have even before you get your current job. As a student, there is a dream that you have in mind and everything you do is going to focus on that. But the idea is to remember how much time would you need to take or switch over to a new career. It is here that all of the above steps would be given shape.At the end of it, remember that switching to a new career might not really be that difficult if you have done your homework. Plan B or any other alternate career path that you might have depends on your personal, social and economical needs. But why do you need to have one? Simply put todays economy is seeing a drastic shift with changes in technology. Jobs that were once very popular have given way to technological or automated systems. Having an alternative career plan is smart and would save you a lot of financial hassles and hurdles - no matter what state the economy are in. The idea is to leverage your skills in the right way. If circumstances get you out of a job, then you would have to hunt for something really fast. And if you choose to make the switch, then you would need a little extra time to make sure that you have enough finances and resources to get you through the period. So be it poor pay, being sacked or feeling unhappy with the job - no matter what the reason is, an alternate career path is savior in harsh financial times.
FAQs for Young Adults
I am about to finish school and will be turning 18. But I am unable to decide between studying management or law? I love both subjects so am utterly confused?The best way to go about this would be taking an aptitude test to see towards which field do your core competencies lie. It is possible that you may have a better aptitude for any one. Also, if there are some intern or part time opportunities available in either area, you can consider doing temporary work to discover your inherent skills.I recently broke-up with my girlfriend of 3 years. As a result I am unable to concentrate in class and my grades are going for a toss. I am worried that I will miss out on the chance of getting into a good college because of this!It is never easy to get over a breakup and 3 years is a long time. However, you can talk to friends, family or even your teacher for helping you overcome this difficult phase. You should have the confidence that you want to get through a good institute and forget everything else right now. And don’t loose heart.Should I take a break from studies and work for a year to get some experience and try to focus on my inherent skills rather than just going to college?A lot of students prefer taking an year off or some time off to work in different fields and work on their core competencies. In fact, you will get some good exposure here along with relevance experience before entering college. You also get the benefit of choosing a subject that you really enjoy. So give it some thought and make a checklist of pros and cons before making the decision.I want to pursue medicine as a career option but there are financial restrictions? Considering my passion for this field, I don’t want to switch careers.There are a lot of fields available in medicines that are not very expensive on the educational front. Many banks and institutions also offer merit cum means scholarship to students. You can do a diploma in nursing or similar field and work in the healthcare industry for a while. This way you will get firsthand experience and also work your way up the ladder and save more for your medical degree.My parents are expecting me to take up either engineering or medicine as my college subject. But frankly my interest lies towards literature and art. In fact, I am considering taking up English literature or even fine arts as a college degree.There is nothing wrong in pursuing the subject of your choice, as you would be responsible for your success and failure. Don’t get pressurized rather reason with them about your career choices and why you are selecting the same.Education now has become a pressure game. All my friends are taking extra classes and have set up their career plans, but I am not really sure if I even want to go to college. Is it an unwise decision?It is always suggested to have an educational degree as a back up or something to fall back on. Whether you do a business or take up a job. And if you don’t want to take extra classes or double degrees that’s just your call! You may brush up your skills but if you think your know- how is sufficient from class, don’t bother. Good grades do help in your success but it is not the only yardstick.Peer pressure seems to be getting on my nerves. I have a brother who always got straight As and has got through a premiere college. But my grades are not that good and my parents are always comparing me with him. I sometimes just feel like quitting studies because of this.It is best to discuss this issue with your parents rather than letting it take a toll on your learning competencies. You should focus on doing things that you enjoy and excel at rather than letting peer pressure get to you. No two individuals are alike. Pursue an educational degree that you like and enjoy so that you can ace the same.I am 18 -year-old boy who loves fine arts. Be it painting, music, or any other form of art, I seem to have a creative bent towards these fields. But subjects like math, science, etc. rarely interest me. Though history and political science I still enjoy. What field of education should I pursue?Seems like you have already answered your questions. Since arts gets the best out of you, why not go for a degree in fine arts or even music. If you are someone who wants to step into the glamour world, you can do something like fashion designing or graphic designing too. Plus, with an interest in history, you can combine your passion for art and explore specializations in medieval art or something like that.I am an athlete who is just an average student. But be it basketball, football or any other sport, I am a pro at these. Recently, I have started getting scholarship offers for college - with a chance to play on their team. I want to choose a safer degree option where I study less and can focus on my sports.Pick from a subject that interests you. These days you can get degrees relevant in fields of physical fitness or education. If the college you choose doesn’t have the same, then find out about your core competencies and interest via counseling. Pursuing a degree in a subject that you love would make learning simpler and easier.To ensure that I get good grades in high school, I study at least 2-3 hours everyday. But this barely leaves me with time to hang out with my friends. I am very focused on getting through an elite institution and don’t want any regrets.On the academic front, if you have a quick learning adaptability, everyday study would definitely get you an upper edge. But if you feel that you are losing on time socializing then may be you can cut down an hour in the evening and get up early in the morning to make up for that time. Or may be take a break during the weekends so that you can enjoy this time out with friends and family.
FAQs for Parents of Young Adults
As parents of young adults, you might be anxious of your child's career growth. It is the crucial phase of one's life as far as career growth is concerned. We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions and you can mail us for more doubts.One day my daughter wants to major in law and the next day it is political science and suddenly she wants to join the armed forces. I am not against anything. She’s grown up enough to make her own choices, but so much of confusion makes me realize that she is still not sure about what she wants to do.How about taking her to a career counselor? They might guide her better on her aptitude for certain subjects. You can also ask her teacher or school psychologist to help her decide on her core competencies. If still unsure, she can do some trial internship or visit college campuses to get a clearer picture.My son is very keen on studying theatre and fine arts in college. But I am not really sure about his subject choices. Will there be enough job prospects for him? Plus if he studies drama won’t his skill be restricted on the academic front?It is true that theatre would be a more vocational course instead of a regular one. But there are prospects on that front too. In fact, you may urge him to do a dual degree or take up theatre as a diploma course along side and major in another subject. Fine arts have much more prospects today be it the digital world, advertising or any other similar profile.My daughter did not get through the one that she really wanted to. This has made her a little upset and she seems to be getting depressed. Though we are very happy with her performance, she is suffering from low-self esteem these days.Talk to your daughter about how good the other colleges that has got through are. Let her know that thousands of others don’t even get through one and she should be happy about her achievements and focus on doing well individually rather than sulking.My 18 -year-old daughter is still not sure about what subject she would like to take up in college. Every time I bring up the topic, she just doesn’t seem to care. Her grades are very average and I am not expecting her to get through a premium institute but at least I would like to know her career choices.Why not take her to a career fair or even a regular counselor to understand what prospects she has in college. You can just let her know that you are worried about her and may be if she took out the time to discuss the same with you, it would really help.Keen on studying abroad, my daughter has brought home many prospectus and brochures from different schools. But I was hoping that she would be somewhere closer to home. Good colleges offering the same courses are here. How should I go about this?If you have academic credentials and details about colleges closer to home, why not show her some brochures of the places around too. In the end, the choice of college is something that is her discretion. And though it is understood you want her to be closer to home, sometimes there is not much ado in these instances.We are a family of doctors and engineers. No one in our household has a degree lesser than Ph.D. in the science field. And my son tells me that he wants to study literature. I know he’s a good student so why this field?Literature or any other similar field has nothing to do with grades or marks. It is about a personal choice. It is not necessary that if he’s a good student he will do well in the medical or engineering field just because the entire family is there. On the other hand, he can do excellent with literature if he’s fond of the subject. Plus, he may go on with higher studies and get a Ph.D. in this subject to become a professor.I was a professional athlete who didn’t go through college because of a keen interest in sports. However with an injury my sports career came to a halt. With no degree to fall back on, I didn’t get many jobs. Now my daughter too wants to avoid university and take up a career in basketball. How do I convince her?You can cite your own example and let her know how you had to suffer a setback because of not having a degree. Plus show her the opportunities in line if she can get a sports scholarship. That way she can play her favorite sports and also enjoy the benefit of getting through a premiere institute.I have twins. One daughter and one son - the problem is that though my son fares well academically, my daughter is just below average. On the other hand, she’s excellent on the artistic front and is a really good painter. But people keep comparing their achievements and I think that is making her a little upset.Let them know that you love them both equally in spite of any academic grade or qualification. Let them know that their individual qualities are what really matters rather than just scoring good on the academic front.There’s too much focus on education in my household and I feel that my wife doesn’t give my kids a breather. They are doing well on the academic front and I want my children to enjoy education rather than slogging.The best way to go about is to let your kids decide. Close to being adults, let the set a definite time period for studying and doing homework and then move on to whatever extra curricular activities they enjoy. It can be a sport or a game or even just hanging out with friends.What kind of role will the digital media have in doing projects? Recently it seems that my daughter is spending more time on her smartphone and tablet - claiming it is schoolwork and less in the real world.The virtual world can be a major distraction. You cannot really tell a young adult what she should do but there are some house rules that you can encourage. Allot 1-2 hours a day for accessing digital media for educational purposes. Don’t allow the same at meal times or during family time to set clear boundaries.
For Teachers and School
Identifying Natural Traits of Students
Today schools are focusing more extensively on character education and trying to incorporate the same as a sustained process of teaching. Studies over the years have revealed that examples of good character can be attained via teaching, instilling good habits and also encouraging students. Considering that students spend a large chunk of their time at school, it is essential that they devise or develop character traits that would help them emerge as better individuals in the future.For instance, character education gives the students the knowledge for addressing the difference between right and wrong. Thus it is vital for developing habits and behavior that would have a positive impact on society. It has been seen that character education actually help in academics. It provides them with a sense of diligence and responsibility. Building character is also known to assist help the students interact properly with their teachers and fellow students. So it is up to the teacher eventually to turn the classroom into a better learning environment.Before you move on to the process of understanding the different character traits of a child, here are some of the basics traits that most children have.
Here are some ways that teachers can judge and analyze the character traits of their students. Sure it would require a little extra time and effort.
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Activity Level
One of the first aspects that you must remember here is that a child would be analyzed on the basis of their activity level. Each child has a particular speed and activity level. So if you are trying to understand the speed of the child or how active they are consider-Are they more fidgety when sitting down or they focus extensively on a particular activity. Younger children do tend to be a little more fidgety so it might not really be a trait right now. Does the child have difficulty sitting still for a prolonged period or do they tend enjoy sedate periods. Remember that highly active or overactive children tend to channel a lot of their extra energy into success in sports. This is one of the traits to watch out for.?
A child showing more interest in sitting quietly and focusing on work would likely to grow up into something require intensive learning. On the other hand, a child who is highly energetic and loves to channelize their energies into activities that include physical labor, then they are more likely to be into sports when they grow up.
Distractibility Factor
In many kids, the degree of concentration and paying attention is evident when they are not taking interest or showing a certain level of excitement for a particular activity. In this reference, traits of distractibility would depend largely on the ease with which the external stimuli interfere with ongoing behavior. There are some children in the classroom who just tend to be distracted a lot. A change in light, any outside sound or even other similar changes tends to make them switch over or forget the activity they are doing. Watch out if these distractions are getting more of their attention or is that the child becomes sidetracked easily when attempting to follow routine or working on some activity??
Remember that being highly distractible is only a positive trait when the child has to be shifted from an undesirable behavior. However, it does portray negatively when it prevents the child from finishing school work.
Intensity of activity
The energy levels that a child possesses are reflected or send during a response, which can be either positive or negative. Some students tend to react strongly and loudly to everything. In case of even lesser significant events, they tend to show signs of pleasure or being upset strongly. Some in fact go to the verge of being very over dramatic about these situations too. Then there are kids who tend to get quiet when upset. You will notice that such kids are the ones who are usually less active in the classroom. The ones who are quite tend to be gifted in dramatic arts. Intense children are the one who would definitely get you exhausted by the end of the day. And they are the one with a knack for hyper activity or enjoy sports.
Regularity
Regularly or enjoying a routine is a trait that refers to the predictability of biological functions. These tend to include habits of sleeping, feeling hungry, etc. There are some kids who do feel hungry by lunch hour or are ready to eat when the bell rings. These are kids who like to have a set pattern and enjoy going through regular routines. They do tend to get upset when their routine is not in sync. Then there are some kids who are rather unpredictable in terms of hunger and tiredness. They are the ones who tend to have odd eating times or really go against the routine. So watch out for these sign.
Sensory Threshold
This one is completely related to how sensitive this child is to physical stimuli. For a teacher getting to know these traits or identifying with these traits is not something that difficult. These includes sound, taste, touch, temperature changes, etc. which are quite handy in producing a response in the child. Some of the traits that you should watch out here include how does the student react - positively or negatively to particular sounds? Does he/ she startles easily to sounds? Along with this, you can also observe if the child is a picky eater or tends to eat almost anything? Some children are more prone to responding positively or negatively to the feel of clothing? Kids who are highly sensitive would turn out to be more artistic and creative.
Approach/Withdrawal Signs
Another aspect that you as teacher should watch out for is the factor of withdrawal signs. More than often, there are some kids who tend to withdraw or are not comfortable in meeting strangers. They are the ones who tend to feel more insecure or vulnerable on seeing new faces. Watch out for signs like if the child eagerly approaches new situations or people. Do they feel hesitant and resistant in case of new situations, people or things? Those who tend to be slower to warm up are introverts who take their time to react and less keen on being impulsive. On the other hand, those who react more strongly have a tendency to be impulsive during adolescence.
Adaptability
Coming to more inherent traits in a child, adaptability is one factor that reflects a lot about any child. It is again based on the routine and reaction to changes factor. But how easily a child adapts to transitions and changes are something that plays a crucial role. For instance - does the child have trouble, transitioning from one activity to another? Are they taking time to get comfortable to new situations like moving to a new class or making new friends? Those who adapt slowly tend to be less prone to entering dangerous situations. A slow-to-adapt child would also be less influenced by peer pressure.
Persistence
Basically the length of the time that any student tends to continue facing hurdles and issues is known as their persistence traits. You will notice that there are some children who tend to continue working on a puzzle, even though they are not able to solve it. Others move on rather than waiting for this activity to be over. In some cases, you will notice that some kids react strongly when interrupted in an activity. They want to continue and finish but they are labeled as stubborn. However, this is more of persistence rather than stubbornness. On the other hand, a persistent child is more likely to succeed in reaching goals. Those with lower persistence tend to have more social skills considering they see other people can help.?? ????
Mood
How do kids react to their primary world, in this case the classroom? Some kids tend to be more positive or negative so the formula of glass as half full or half empty applies here. Do they seem to be happy about little things or they tend to complain all the time. Those who focus on the negative aspects of life tend to be more analytical and evaluate situations carefully. With these modes, you will be to identify the natural traits of your students and devise or work on ways to enhance those skills through the means of character education.
Teaching Methods for Different Learning Styles
Today, one of the biggest challenges that many educators and teachers face is finding a way to succeed with all of their students. Of course, this is much easier said than done or implemented in practice. It is not really possible for all of the students to have a knack or liking for a particular subject or be aware of their natural affinity.?
In many cases, teachers do realize that it is simply not possible to reach out all students and also ensure that they are able to identify their inner strengths and overcome the weaknesses. It means that there are a lot of children out there, who are not able to get the best because of their inherent weaknesses. It is true that even the best of the talent pool is unable to break this barrier and reach out to the students. With the classroom sizes increasing and the restriction of time frames, it is hindrance for even the most well trained teacher and he/she can find many students difficult to work with. But experts often state that these are only problems rooted in substantive emotional and based on a set of behavior issues. According to these experts, the total concept of understanding or promoting the success of particular students happens due to fundamental incongruities and these are problems that are related to cognitive preferences and learning styles. So is there actually a teaching method that would be able to incorporate different learning styles into one and then use the same for teaching methods or applications. Different views exist on this issue and there has been plenty of research into the matter.?
Students and teachers differences occur in all classrooms and there are often instances when teachers react in a conventional manner. They do not want to change their teaching methods or style simply because they are not used to it. Also, students who are not really that well into the intelligent bracket or don’t fare well in school are the ones who suffer a setback. But there are a lot of steps to understand and mitigate issues to be addressed for overcoming these hassles.
The Basics of Teaching
On the whole, teaching is not really a simple profession. Along with having much uniqueness, it is also rather complex because you are dealing here with a set of diverse human beings - mainly children. These are kids who come from different cultural backgrounds, have different levels of interest, achievements, intelligence and even physical health. So is it wise to standardize the educational process and stick to a method that is stereotype with nearly no personalization. Meeting the needs of different educational styles is a challenge that all teachers face. There are some of the problems that students face in the world of teaching, which is something that only teachers can help them overcome.
Individual Differences
A common problem that most students usually face on the first day of school would be individual differences. You will notice that there are different kids of different genders, races, structures, appearance, etc. present. Along with the visible differences that you can see on the physical front, there are a lot of hidden classes and differences here too. You will find students of diverse socioeconomic strata, who come from various family configurations and finally there are students with special needs. So on the whole, the teacher has to deal with differing interests, and abilities. Then again there are umpteen cultural backgrounds, different languages, different learning styles, and different attitudes toward school. And this is not really something new. It is a part of something that the teacher experiences everyday. It is a school and if you think of it there are students of these many categories under one roof. Statistics in each school vary in terms of educational performances, opportunities, skills, abilities, etc. And at the end of the day, there is a generic process being applied to these students. But is it possible for a teacher to apply a generic mode of teaching for all of these students with so many differences. Well it certainly is not possible to diversify or personalize beyond a certain extent.
Getting over the myth of teaching the middle
A common myth that is often applied in the line of teaching is that teacher’s only focus mainly on the middle group of students who have average intelligence levels and a decent ability to grasp, what is being taught. However, this is not really true. The passion of a teacher or the role of the teacher is to take care of categories of all students. It could be the ones who respond to energetic and motivating instructors. There is no doubt that most teachers find it easier to prep up and have a standard teaching mode, which applies to all. The middle group gets the attention as the above-average ones are already way ahead and the less intelligent ones are not ready to grasp it. But this is totally untrue. As a teacher, the focus is on helping students of all the categories to get a decent quality of education. So teachers do implement their individual efforts in exercising the concept of designing teaching methods to meet the needs of all learning styles. Here are some factors that would help them in the process-
Understanding the Different Categories of Students
Remember that the individual differences of all the students come with a set of different levels of intelligence. Howard Gardner had a theory of multiple intelligences that proposed 'instead of a single, fixed intelligence, there are actually eight facets of intelligence’. In simple, what this researcher was trying to say is that everyone has a certain degree of smartness, but it is teachers who are able to dig deep into this and help them to understand and excel at the same. Here are the different levels of intelligences available along with theories or teaching processes that would apply to different groups-
Visual/Spatial
As per Gardner, this visual/spatial intelligence group was the one that would excel at spatial relationships and learn visually. Hence, it is a group that really enjoys drawing, creating, watching videos, seeing visuals and photos, etc. Action-plan No doubt that a lot of students come under this category because visual learning has emerged as one of the most popular means or teaching methods to meet the needs of all learning styles. Today, a lot of schools have made conscious efforts to reflect quicker learning processes through the means of this intelligence. Here the students are able to learn more via the visual mean, which can be combined with audio. So more of digital experiences in the classroom, movies, etc. are highly recommended.
Verbal Group
The next group of students are those who have strength in verbal/linguistic intelligence. As the name suggests, these are the students who are able to learn best through the language arts. It could be the standard modes of learning say reading, speaking, writing, etc. which in turn comprises of the traditional methods of instruction. Action Plan There’s not much to do here because conventional schools are opting for this mode of teaching. It is a method that is being applied for centuries. It remains ever popular because it has probably been the oldest. But to create a more innovative approach here, the teachers can employ both the visual and linguistic learning approach together.
Mathematical/Logical
There are various students group who have a higher inclination toward subjects that are related to math and logic. For them, demonstration of passion towards mathematical/logical intelligence demonstrates skill with numbers and problem solving. On the whole, they tend to think abstractly and analytically. They do well when instruction is logically sequenced. But that is not really a knack that everyone has. Action plan The mathematical or logical approach can be given a whole new twist with the use of other modes of learning. In this reference, one notices that students who don’t enjoy the mathematical or logical group that much respond much better to visual approaches or even the use of bodily explanations. In particular, the younger groups adapts to the same at a much faster pace.
Bodily/Kinesthetic
This is a group of students that responds or exhibits bodily/kinesthetic intelligence. And as you may have guessed, they are the ones who very good motor skills and are coordinated. On the whole, you will notice that this group tends to learn the best through hands-on activity: games, movement, role-play, and building and manipulating things. Action plan Here teaching methods to meet the needs of all learning styles can be creative and more interesting. Classroom activities can be planned around enhancing motor and hand-eye coordination via video games or digital processes. Also, this is a group that is excellent in sports and would have an inclination towards the same.
Musical/Rhythmic
There are students who tend to do very well in musical/rhythmic intelligence learn through songs, pat- terns, rhythms, instruments, chants, listening to music and various other forms of music. They are the artistic lot with a knack for dancing, music and sound. Action plan Usually this group responds very well to a combination of visual and rhythmic teaching methods. Hence audio-visual combination is something that really works well for them.
Intra-personal Intelligence
This is a rather complicated group when it comes to emotions because you will usually find this group to be more focused on introspective modules and in touch with their feelings, values, and beliefs. Action plan This is a group that perhaps needs more time alone to reflect on their learning and how it relates to them. Being more of the introvert lot, the teachers include methods like group activities and teaching to help them overcome this shyness quotient.
Interpersonal Group
Again, opposite to the above category, this is a group that demonstrates interpersonal intelligence and these are a lot that are more outgoing, sociable, and people-oriented. Action Plan For these students the learning happens best when working in groups or interacting with others. So more of group activities, combined with the above plans would really work.
Naturalist Groups
In the year 1966, another intelligence aspect was added to this list, which included students whose forte is naturalist intelligence. These are a group of students who tend to demonstrate an ability to find patterns in the natural world and the plant and animal life therein. Action plan This is a group that is able to learn faster on the basis of classifying and visual discrimination activities. They are the ones who are especially when environmental education is involved. So for them field trips and gardening are two activities they enjoy! As a teacher or educator, you might be wondering how to incorporate these trends and design teaching methods to meet the needs of all learning styles. Well, the first step here would be to sort out your kids on the basis of these intelligence levels. You would just need a rough idea on this. Asking your school counselor or psychologist would be the best way to go about it. They can give you a clearer picture on who’s who. But again, this would not really apply to the very smaller classes, as they are yet to understand and develop these natural traits. Here is a sample action plan- So just think of your classroom as a garden that has diverse flora and fauna. All your students are a part of this diverse group and you are tending to them as a gardener. In simple words, unification through the modes of learning is what you are going to focus on. Designing teaching methods to meet the needs of all learning styles includes providing them with a certain set of activities that helps them in exploring and expanding their repertoire. For the visual group, you can enhance the teaching methods using different kinds of drawings or paintings that would describe a particular activity. For instance, if you are teaching history, visuals and images from the past tend to really have a positive effect on the learning process. For the verbal group, you don’t have to bother much. Ask them to read out loud in class and have interactive sessions that encourage them to speak out. Recordings and audios in particular combined with videos work for this group and also cater to the above. For the Mathematical/Logical group, you can opt for conducting experiments or having debate sessions. With grouping and debating processes as part of interactive learning, logic and reasoning would be applied to. Something that this group really enjoys. Along with this, combined group activities that help in bringing out core strengths of the students should be focused, which work for all 8 different groups. Doing so is relatively easier. For a little twist of the naturalist group, you can make an attempt of field trips. On the whole, a bit of modification in the entire process of learning and the instructional components would go a long way when it comes to designing teaching methods to meet the needs of all learning styles. Through these modes, core knowledge and strengths of the students are focused on and this way not only do students show readiness and willingness to learn more but also takes a keen interest in the overall learning process. Some props that can be used here include
At the end of it, you provide for every student with a few changes. With a little practice and patience, incorporating these methods, you will notice that one can actually design and incorporating a teaching methods that suits different styles and requirements.
Remedial Teaching for Students with Learning Disability
The term learning disability is used for defining different kinds of learning problems that affect students. In simple terms, learning disability is defined as the problem where a student has trouble in grasping what is being taught in the class. Is it because they are any different or less intelligent? Not really infact the sharpest of minds like Albert Einstein used to suffer from the problem of dyslexia. And it is here that teachers can help find the next Einstein and aid then in overcoming the problem.It can be a student is in the general education classroom or learning in a special class setting. On the whole the idea is to focus the activities on assessing individual students to monitor their progress through the curriculum. It is suggested that all teachers and schools must take precedence over concerns for the group or the curriculum or for the organization and management of the general education classroom content.
The specific types of learning disabilities are mentioned below-
Over the years researches have continued to confirm that teaching students with learning disabilities is something that demands a little bit of patience along with lots of compassion. It is possible for the teacher to put them into a position to compete and hold their own.
How do I know that a student has learning disability?
One of the first aspects that teachers should note here is a particular pattern that the child exhibits. It can be anything like writing mirrored words or showing attention and answering orally, but not being able to write. As a teacher, these are common traits that you have been already taught or experienced during your course. And now is the time to put these skills to good use. You can take the help of your school counselor if needed in this reference to understand if a child is suffering from a particular kind of learning disability. It should be kept in mind that success for the student with learning disabilities would mean that a lot of focus on individual achievement has to be given. Hence individual progress and learning both need to emphasize on strongly. It would require some hard work from the teacher’s part especially for directed, individualized, intensive remedial instruction, for all the students who are struggling. Here are some solutions for remedial teaching for students with Learning disability based on Learning sensitivity.
Differentiated Instruction
Basically this is an approach, where the teachers change and twirl the system of learning or what students need to learn. The focus is here is on how they’ll learn it and working on modes of getting material across to them. It has been seen that students with learning disabilities tend to struggle in one particular area. Here the first task of the teacher would be to identify that area and create a plan that includes extra practice. So the students are provided with step-by-step directions, and special homework. With practice and persistence, they are able to overcome the same.
Scaffolding
A method called scaffolding is often employed or used in the teaching process for students learning disabilities. It makes use of a method that breaks learning into chunks. So in simple, breaking learning into smaller parts makes it easier for a student to grasp. These are chunks based on a logical order and heading towards a clear goal. The task of the teacher here is to bridge the gap that exists between what the students know and what they are unable to attain on their own. Such ridges are referred to as “scaffolds.”? Different materials are used here for help, which include charts, pictures and cue cards. The teacher presents a model of high-quality work before asking students to work on their own.
Graphic Organization
In the mode of graphic organization, the task of the teacher is drawing a picture to map out thoughts and ideas. So mostly visuals are used for helping younger students learn activities that are associated with identifying the characters. Think of it as resemblance with characters in a story they’ve read. In the long run, the idea is to help them plan and organize a story, which they can write. In particular, subjects like history largely benefit from the same.
Mnemonics
Another mode used by teachers for helping students with learning disabilities is mnemonics. Remedial teaching for students with Learning disability based on learning sensitivity focus on students using special phrases to help them remember information. A fine example here would be 'Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally’’. This is something that is used for remembering the order of operations in math: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiply, Divide, Add and Subtract. So the strategies are used for helping remembering smaller words, which in the long run would help the child remember longer connotations.
Multi-sensory Instruction
This is a method employed by teachers for helping students with learning issues and based on what students are able to hear, see and understand movements. So basically it makes use of all the senses that a student has. Some teachers prefer using the base ten blocks here that has two-sided counters. With this, students are able to touch, see aid understand new vocabulary by capturing the meaning of a word and then illustrating it.
Add a little perspective
Keep things in perspective is one of the most crucial aspects of overcoming learning disability. Remember that this problem is not really insurmountable. Yes, there will be a share of hurdles that you would have to overcome but in the long run, you would be able to deal with them without becoming discouraged or overwhelmed. So as long as you are focused and have that perspective, you will get there.
Use your expert skills
Becoming your own expert or using your expert skills is something that always scores with a teacher. Your students suffer from a learning disability, which means that even though you are going by the book, you can still add a personalized learning touch. Skills as a compassionate teacher or ability to draw or even story telling are some means through which you would be able to help these kids overcome the issue. Also, try to develop your skills by being aware of the new developments in learning disability programs, therapies, and educational techniques.
Being there for your students
Being an advocate for the student who suffers from learning disabilities is something that you must focus on. Remember that a student looks up to their teacher for assistance and as a role model too. It is your duty to be patient with them and also help the school authorities understand their special needs. By doing so, you are going to make a huge impact or difference in helping them overcoming many barriers.
Provide positive influence
The positive influence that a teacher can have on a student is something that really cannot compare with other role models. Students who suffer from learning disabilities look for empathy, and if somewhere around the line they find a teacher who is helping them in overcoming this issue would be received with equal enthusiasm. So you should approach learning challenges with optimism, hard work, and a sense of humor and you will notice that the students are responding to you in the same way.
Clear vision for goals
Post this, you should remember to be more precise and clear about your goals. The best way to do this is noting or writing down what you want to accomplish. Based on importance, segregate them. You should also be a good listener and be able to explain to the school authorities what you are trying to do. Offer new solutions with a plan that would double as a remedial method of learning for students with such disabilities. Stay calm, collected and positive and don’t give up easily. Here are some remedial and intervention practices that teachers can implement-
The first thing that a teacher should do here would be to actually see what the others are not able to. For at least one week, the teacher should take notes on the different students in the class. This will help you in getting an idea on what is exactly going on and which student is undergoing a problem. One week is a time span good enough to see and understand, which child is actually having acute problems with learning or suffer from similar disabilities. Once you know the student, the next step would be to observe the child over an entire day. Doing this is suggested so that the child is able to get the individual attention he/ she deserves. The entire idea is to give that child the focus they deserve. Now that you are aware that if everybody is to learn and make their best progress, you will have to add or change a few things around.?
Remember that the goals for you student would be earning and progress. So you are the one who should brainstorm and implement a plan that phases out over a 6-week period and brings results.?
For young adults (Age group: 18 years and above)
Young? child is now an adult and most of the important career related decisions are taken by the young adult. By this time a child can understand his or her abilities and is confident of his or he decision. An young adult chooses his career path and works towards his or her career goal. However, it is important that you? make the right career choice by weighing the pros and cons. A wrong career move at this stage can hurt lifetime. You should not take an impulsive decision but go by your competency and liking. To ensure that you have made the right choice, take advise from parents and teachers. They will guide you with the best possible suggestion.
For Teachers and Schools
Any child on an average spends about 14 years in school - the maximum in any institution perhaps. It is at this time, that the child grows, matures and understands the complexities of life. The character of an individual is shaped in the years spend in school. Teachers play a crucial role in shaping the character of an individual just like a seed that grows and becomes a full grown tree. A good teacher has the ability not only to teach well but to understand the individual needs of each child and work towards it. A school should allow a child to blossom in a free and open atmosphere so that a child can have a smooth journey in her or her vital years.
English Teacher at Deped
7 个月giving the child freedom to chose his future is insightful to me
Navigating career paths ?? - Aristotle once said, seeking out the intersection of what you love and what you're good at can lead to true fulfillment. Let's empower our youth with this wisdom!