Exploring Career Pathways - Through Exploration And Experiential Learning (Part-2)
Photo Credit - Laxmi Krishnan

Exploring Career Pathways - Through Exploration And Experiential Learning (Part-2)

A few months ago, a parent asked me how she could help her children get into a career they will always be happy with. It's a challenging question because motivation is highly subjective in its effectiveness, widely varies from person to person and sometimes changes according to the progression of the years. The process of initiating a child to the realisation of the nature of a career needs to start from a very young age. Every child is exceptional; hence every child gets inspired by unique elements that reflect their individuality. It begins initially by actively engaging the child in intellectually and exploratory play time as a toddler. This step gradually progresses to involve the child in daily tasks (home chores) that promote independence and the conscious awareness of harmonious coexistence through teamwork, reading, leisure activities and providing engaging opportunities for social interactions.

Experiential Learning is one of the best techniques to enable children to find their ideal careers based on their passion and purpose. The concept of Experiential Learning in education has been gaining recognition over the years for its positive impact on personal and professional life. Experiential Learning also provides opportunities for parents to observe what motivates their children as a unique reflective form of learning that only emerges through experiences; the interest or lack of interest that a child experiences is immediately revealed to the parent. Looking back at our childhood, all of us can identify with the enjoyment we relished through Experiential Learning. Through this learning process, a child gets engaged through learning by doing, followed by reflecting on the process and outcome of the learning activity.

Awakening Interests Through Exploration.

The first step is to provide children with opportunities to explore. Engage them in conversations that allow us to get to know what their interests are. Is it sport related? Is it learning to play an instrument, or does it involve a fun architectural activity like Lego? Many a time, sadly, in the rush of tasks and everyday chores, parents may forget this step of getting to know their child's inherent interests through casual conversations.

The next step that follows is to involve them in everyday chores. This enables them to learn basic skills but also helps them develop a sense of responsibility toward the upkeep of the family household. This activity furthermore promotes consciousness of the importance of respect and gender bias in our relationships and life. A few months ago, I got the opportunity to interact with a widowed acquaintance's young thirteen-year-old son. Growing up in a village in the interiors of Kerala (India) without a Dad, the boy's loving mother made all efforts to ensure that her son enjoyed his life without needing anything. Since her relatives and the neighbours live in an oppressive patriarchal society, it was unimaginable that the boy would be expected to perform any task in the house or assist his asthmatic mother. Every whim of his was attended to by his loving mother, to the extent that the boy began to consider that ordering his mother was the norm. In a candid chat with him, I remarked on the relevance of his support for his mother and the significance of love and respect in our actions for others. Yet I fully realise that in the village community, with friends and relatives supporting his dominating demeanour at home, it will take some time for him to consider the value of growing into a tolerant, supportive and compassionate young man.

The sense of discipline and responsibility that this process of exploration and participation teaches a child is undoubtedly profound. Besides letting a child know that a parent juggles many roles (tutor, nurse, cook, driver, accountant, and many more), including that of a school teacher, it helps the child to understand the importance of support and assistance. So if there is a younger sibling, encourage the older child to read them stories or even guide them with the homework or other school activities. The activity of reading helps build a great bond for the future; it helps them both value the habit of reading in life. The exposure to teaching school work allows them to know their sibling better and strengthen their relationship with them through support. This activity may also enable them to explore their interests in teaching as an adult.

Challenges - Lessons for Improvement and Growth

One of the oversights parents make (out of their love for their children) is to make all efforts to shield children from the effects of failure. It is natural that parents would want their child to succeed, yet at what cost are children being taught about success and failure? Failure is undeniably an influential teacher and provides self-awareness and heightened clarity of purpose. Discussing with children how they can work on areas that need drastic improvement after a setback without spiteful comparison enables them to cultivate humility. It is also an experience that teaches them that their decisions may not be suitable. Most of all, it is also a lesson that winners are never discouraged by failure and that they view failures as opportunities to learn that other methodologies can be successful.

Inspire Social Awareness and Purpose

What is the connection between career choices, social awareness and purpose? There is plenty. The number of people who have conveyed their lack of satisfaction with their seemingly "successful" job is, unfortunately, far too many to count. In the case of most, the subjects relating to their purpose in life and what contribution they make in this world to make it better are matters that dawn sometimes in their late thirties (for those who are lucky) or their late forties. How can we help children overcome this crisis in their life?

The first step is to cultivate social awareness in them by helping them know more about the world we are a part of. This helps them develop greater empathy for others, values, and respect for people from diverse cultures, races, nations, professions, and colours. Nurture in them the desire to question what they observe and witness. This may be initially challenging to a parent, but it will only heighten a child's comprehension of everyday scenarios in the long run. The second is by consciously developing into an individual the child will desire to look up to. Children learn the most from observing parents than what parents tell them. Gender bias or any form of prejudice the child learns at school is often reinforced by friends and at home through the conversations or non-verbal communication between parents or members of the family.

The more we consciously inspire children into believing their worth and value, the more they will seek work that is their life's purpose and not just merely an activity that will help them earn.

As Elbert Hubbard once said,

"Work to become, not to acquire".

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