Job Shadowing for Teachers

Transcription

1 Job Shadowig for Teachers Helpig Studets See That School Learig Couts Souther Regioal Educatio Board th St. N.W. Atlata, GA (404)

2 The iformatio i this guide is based i part o a report o the Teacher Job Shadow Day at Woodrow Wilso High School, Portsmouth, Va., ad a guide produced by the Washigto State Maufacturig Techology Advisory Group, Seattle, Wash. Support for the guide was provided i part by the Local Idustry-Educatio Cosortium Ic., Atlata, Ga.

3 Job Shadowig for Teachers Helpig Studets See That School Learig Couts May rewardig careers i busiess, idustry ad govermetal orgaizatios ad the requiremets for eterig these fields are relatively ukow to teachers. Structured job shadowig is a excellet way for teachers to observe employees firsthad, ask questios ad gai direct kowledge of workplace practices. Teachers who see applicatios of academic, career/techical ad persoal skills ca use the ew kowledge to motivate studets to lear. The iformatio that teachers collect i a job-shadowig experiece ca affect the etire school. It ca help i raisig stadards, upgradig career/techical programs ad expadig work-based learig opportuities for studets. Workplace experieces for teachers ca help a school meet a umber of challeges i raisig studet achievemet. These challeges iclude: Makig classroom istructio more relevat, active ad iterestig; Chagig the curriculum ad school orgaizatio; Gettig busiess ad idustry leaders to reiforce with studets the importace of high performace i school. Busiess support to help teachers lear about the workplace exists locally ad atioally. Schools busiess advisory coucils ad local chambers of commerce are good sources of employers who ca host teachers for oe or more days. Such employers iclude utilities, hospitals ad health care facilities, baks, automotive dealers ad maufacturig plats. I additio, school leaders ca cotact local affiliates of atioal orgaizatios that have pledged to help schools stregthe coectios with busiess ad idustry. Steps i Plaig a Job-Shadowig Experiece for Teachers Step 1:Select a School Coordiator Plaig, coductig ad followig up o a quality job-shadowig experiece requires leadership, coordiatio ad attetio to detail. Select a School Coordiator who will do the job. This perso must perform a multitude of duties idetifyig teachers areas of iterest, workig with employers to develop workplace learig plas, preparig teachers for the shadowig experiece, schedulig activities, solvig problems, ad helpig teachers coect work-site learig to studets educatioal ad career plaig activities at school. The coordiator may eed a committee to share the tasks. Schools ad school systems sometimes udercut their ow efforts by appoitig coordiators who are ivolved i a umber of special projects or lack experiece i workig with employers. A coordiator must have the time, eergy ad ability to help teachers lik their workplace experieces to studet learig. Step 2:Select the participats Choose teachers who are committed to: l l l Itegrate academic ad career/techical educatio. Traslate job experieces ito improved istructio. Use work-based learig to improve schoolbased learig. Cosider teamig teachers who will share ad reflect upo their experieces. l l Idetify busiesses that ca host teams. Select teachers who work well together. The School Coordiator will coduct a survey to determie whe ad where the teachers would like to participate. The survey will also tell how the teachers pla to use their ew work-site kowledge i raisig

4 studet achievemet. (See Exhibit A.) After the jobshadowig experiece, teachers will develop lesso plas for itegratig academic ad career/techical learig. (See Exhibit B.) Step 3:Defie the outcomes As a result of job shadowig, teachers will: work with other teachers to develop ad carry out a lesso pla for itegratig a academic ad a career/techical learig activity. (See Exhibit B.) desig a evaluatio form for the itegrated activity or use the sample i this guide. (See Exhibit C.) develop oe or more assigmets for studets who have jobs, or use the job-shadowig experiece to gather iformatio for studets who do ot have jobs. Step 4:Select the busiesses Develop a list of compaies that might be iterested i hostig teachers for job shadowig. Ask for iput from advisory committee members, chambers of commerce ad persoal cotacts. (See Exhibit A.) Cotact ad visit a represetative of each potetial busiess site. Explai the purpose of placig teachers i busiess ad idustry, determie the kids of experieces that are available at the work site, ad keep the represetative up-to-date o the shadowig evet. The School Coordiator may wat to produce a simple descriptive brochure to explai job shadowig to employers. The brochure should defie job shadowig, say why it is importat, suggest a schedule, explai the role of busiess ad tell how to cotact the School Coordiator. Match teachers to work sites that fit their areas of iterest. Step 5:Make the cotacts After selectig the teachers, idetifyig their iterests ad choosig the busiess sites, the coordiator will cotact employers to make arragemets for shadowig activities. The busiess cotact will desigate someoe to serve as the Work-site Coordiator. I additio to helpig the coordiator arrage for the jobshadowig experiece, the Work-site Coordiator may wat to serve as a metor for the teacher(s) assiged to the busiess or select other employees as metors. Explai the job shadowig activity i a follow-up letter to the employer. (See Exhibit D.) Eclose Suggestios for Work-site Coordiators. (See Exhibit E.) Step 6:Prepare for the shadowig experiece Give each teacher a questioaire for gatherig iformatio durig the shadowig experiece. (See Exhibit F.) Provide each Work-site Coordiator with iformatio o expectatios for the job-shadowig experiece ad a list of questios that teachers will ask. (See Exhibits E ad G.) Complete all plaig ahead of time to miimize problems durig job shadowig. Step 7:Coduct the job-shadowig activity If plaig is doe appropriately ad i advace, the job-shadowig experiece should go smoothly. The School Coordiator will be o call to aswer questios or hadle problems that may arise durig the day. Step 8:Evaluate the evet Participatig teachers will submit completed evaluatio forms to the School Coordiator. (See Exhibit C.) Work-site Coordiators ad/or Metors will evaluate the experiece ad submit their reactios to the School Coordiator. (See Exhibit H.) Step 9:Follow up with the busiesses Ivite the appropriate busiess represetatives to a debriefig sessio ad give them Certificates of Appreciatio. The School Coordiator will write thak-you letters to the busiess represetatives, icludig the Work- Site Coordiator or Metor. (See Exhibit I.) 2 Job Shadowig for Teachers

5 Exhibit A Teacher Survey Form Please complete this survey ad retur it to the School Coordiator. Your iput will help the coordiator develop a job-shadowig experiece to meet your eeds. Teacher s ame: 1. What work-site experiece(s) would be most beeficial to you i helpig studets uderstad the importace of school-based learig i a future career? 2. List up to three employers that you would be iterested i visitig. Give cotact persos, addresses, phoe umbers ad other pertiet iformatio. 3. Suggest a period of time whe you will be able to participate i this program. 4. Tell how your participatio will result i studets workig harder ad achievig at a higher level i school. 5. What project or activity will you assig studets after the visit? What will they lear as a result of your participatio i job shadowig? Job Shadowig for Teachers 3

6 Exhibit B Lesso Pla for Itegratig Academic ad Career/Techical Learig District School Teacher Course Uit Lesso title Geeral descriptio of the activity (What do you wat studets to do?): Time eeded: How will you structure the lesso to motivate studets to work hard? List academic, techical, thikig ad/or persoal objectives. State measurable outcomes. List academic, techical, thikig ad/or persoal competecies. State specific cocepts, skills or practices that studets should demostrate. Classroom structure (Cosider the learig eviromet ad the groupigs of studets.): Equipmet eeded (computer, VCR, furiture, etc. for the teacher ad the studets): Materials eeded (flip charts, books, supplies, etc. for the teacher ad the studets): Hadouts ad/or worksheets eeded: 4 Job Shadowig for Teachers

7 Exhibit C Teacher Evaluatio Form Teachers who participate i job shadowig will complete this form ad retur it to the School Coordiator immediately after the experiece. Teacher s ame: Sposorig compay: Name ad title of perso shadowed: Date ad time of shadowig activity: 1. Describe your shadowig experiece. What did you observe? What did you do? 2. How did the employer stress the importace of studets high achievemet ad hard work i school? 3. What will you do to motivate studets to work harder while i school? 4. What was the most valuable aspect of the shadowig experiece to you? Why? 5. What was the least valuable aspect of the shadowig experiece to you? Why? 6. How could the activity be improved to meet the eeds of teachers ad studets? Attach additioal pages as eeded. Job Shadowig for Teachers 5

8 Exhibit D Sample Letter to a Employer Please persoalize this letter ad put it o school letterhead. [Date] Maxie XXXX, Director of Huma Resources The XXXXX Co. Ic. XXXX Ashbur Blvd. N.E. Atlata, GA XXXXX Dear Maxie: Thak you for agreeig to participate i job shadowig for teachers o [Date]. We are askig you to host a team of teachers to visit your compay. A suggested approach is to give the teachers a orietatio to your busiess its purpose, the skills eeded by employees, ad iformatio about jobs. Allow each teacher to observe oe or more employees ad ask questios while the employees cotiue doig their jobs. The teachers may break for a Dutch-treat luch with your employees (durig which they cotiue to discuss educatioal matters) ad the retur to shadowig util the ed of the workday. Our itet is ot to impede your productio but to help teachers lear about curret busiess practices. Teachers will use this kowledge to prepare their studets the atio s future workforce. I preparatio for job shadowig, the teachers will receive a briefig o what to look for durig the experiece thigs such as applicatios of commuicatio, mathematics, huma relatios ad decisio-makig skills eeded by employees. I am eclosig Suggestios for Work-site Coordiators or Metors (Exhibit E) ad Tips for Work-site Metors (Exhibit G). After the shadowig experiece, the teachers will atted a debriefig sessio to reflect upo what they leared ad to develop lesso plas that combie school-based ad work-based learig. Employers ad teachers who have take part i this type of program i the past have foud it very rewardig. I hope you ad your staff will beefit from your compay s participatio. Please call me at [phoe umber] if you have ay questios. Sicerely, [Name] School Coordiator Job Shadowig for Teachers eclosures 6 Job Shadowig for Teachers

9 Exhibit E Suggestios for Work-site Coordiators or Metors Before the evet Provide each teacher a packet of iformatio o your compay s services or products, orgaizatioal structure, compay missio, policies ad procedures, ad other pertiet facts. Be sure the teachers kow where the compay is located, where to park ad how to eter the buildig, what to wear, busiess hours, ad the ame ad title of each employee to be shadowed. Alert employees (ot just those to be shadowed) about the visit. Some employees may kow ways to ehace the teachers time at the facility. Set up a work schedule that will allow teachers to observe ad talk with employees. Schedule time with the huma resources maager for teachers to lear about hirig practices, etry-level jobs ad expectatios, salary levels, desired kowledge ad skills, etc. Give the employees to be shadowed some backgroud iformatio o the teachers. Ecourage employees to coduct busiess as usual to allow teachers to see the day-to-day realities of the job. Ask employees to poit out the skills, equipmet ad techology used o the job, the kids of persoal traits ad work habits eeded to do the job well, ad how these qualities are measured. (See Exhibit G Tips for Work-site Metors.) If feasible, give teachers hads-o experiece with equipmet, forms ad procedures. Put them to work if the job will allow it! Ecourage employees to be cadid i respodig to questios from teachers. O the day of the evet Review the schedule ad aswer the teachers iitial questios. Itroduce the teachers to key persos they will see durig the day. Coduct a brief tour of the facility. Discuss compay procedures, such as cofidetiality, secure areas, etc. that might impact the visit. Hold a debriefig sessio with teachers at the ed of the day. Get their commets about the experiece ad aswer ay fial questios. Job Shadowig for Teachers 7

10 Exhibit F Work-site Visit Questioaire Welcome to Job Shadowig for Teachers! This questioaire is desiged to help you get the most from your visit. Please aswer the questios as you shadow your Work-site Metor. May aswers will come idirectly from observatios ad iteractios with employees. If a questio is uclear, discuss it with your metor. Teacher s ame: Metor s ame: Job site: Departmet: 1. What does this departmet do withi the busiess? 2. What does your Work-site Metor do each day? 3. What value does your metor place o studets hard work ad high achievemet i high school? 4. How willig is your metor to use every opportuity to try to covice studets that workig hard i school is importat? 5. How would your metor motivate studets to work hard o the job? 6. What academic kowledge ad skills does the metor eed i the workplace? How are they used o the job? How are they measured? Readig Writig 8 Job Shadowig for Teachers

11 Applyig mathematics cocepts Applyig scietific priciples Listeig Speakig 7. What career/techical skills are ecessary to perform this job? How are they used? How are they measured? Usig computers for word processig, databases, graphics, etc. Operatig office machies ad other equipmet (phoes, fax machies, photocopiers, etc.) 8. Which problem-solvig skills are eeded o the job? How are they used ad measured? Orgaizig ad plaig Iterpretig ad commuicatig iformatio Aalyzig problems ad thikig creatively Makig decisios Job Shadowig for Teachers 9

12 9. What people skills are eeded? How are they used ad measured? Servig customers Participatig as a team member Teachig Resolvig coflict ad exhibitig leadership qualities Workig with diversity (geder, racial, religious, physical or laguage) Beig o time, dressig correctly ad maitaiig a appropriate attitude for the job 10. Would the ability to speak ad write i a laguage other tha Eglish be useful i this job? 11. What educatio ad traiig did your metor receive before startig work at the busiess? What ew skills has he or she had to lear sice the? 12. How is this job likely to chage i the ext five years? The ext 10 years? 13. What advice would your metor give studets to help them become more attractive to employers? 10 Job Shadowig for Teachers

13 Exhibit G Tips for Work-site Metors Your workplace ca become a high-performace classroom for teachers who eed to uderstad the kowledge ad skills required i busiess ad idustry. Teachers will use this experiece to desig istructioal activities ad to motivate studets to work harder i school i preparatio for careers ad further study. Teachers may ask questios about: Your job ad your compay: What does this departmet do withi the busiess? What do you do each day? How importat to you are studets hard work ad high achievemet i high school? How willig are you to covice studets that hard work i school is importat? How would you motivate studets to work harder i school? What ca a work-site metor do to stregthe studets preparatio for a career? Academic skills ad kowledge eeded o the job ad how they are used ad measured: Readig Applyig mathematics priciples Listeig Writig Applyig scietific cocepts Speakig Techical skills ecessary to perform the job ad how they are used ad measured: Usig computers Operatig office machies (phoes, fax machies, photocopiers, etc.) Problem-solvig skills eeded o the job ad how they are applied ad measured: Orgaizig ad plaig Iterpretig ad commuicatig iformatio Aalyzig problems ad thikig creatively Makig decisios People skills eeded ad how they are used ad measured: Servig customers Participatig as a team member Teachig Resolvig coflict ad exhibitig leadership qualities Workig with diversity (geder, racial, religious, physical or laguage) Beig o time, dressig correctly ad maitaiig a appropriate attitude for the job Would speakig ad writig i a laguage other tha Eglish be useful i this job? How is this job likely to chage i the ext five years? The ext 10 years? What advice would you give studets to help them become more attractive to employers? Job Shadowig for Teachers 11

14 Exhibit H Evaluatio Form for Work-site Coordiators or Metors Your evaluatio of Job Shadowig for Teachers is very importat to future plaig. Please take a few miutes to complete this evaluatio form ad retur it to the School Coordiator. Thak you! Name of Coordiator or Metor Name of Busiess Phoe 1. Was the iformatio give to you before the visit helpful? yes o Commets: 2. Did the evet beefit your compay? yes o Commets: 3. Would you recommed cotiuig this format? yes o Commets: 4. If you ecoutered difficulties, what were they? 5. Do you thik Job Shadowig for Teachers ca be improved? yes o If you aswered yes, please tell how. (Attach additioal pages as eeded.) 6. Would your compay host teachers for job shadowig ext year? yes o If you aswered yes, tell how may you would host. 12 Job Shadowig for Teachers

15 Exhibit I Thak-you Note to a Work-site Coordiator or Metor Writig a thak-you ote to your Work-site Coordiator, Work-site Metor or both is very importat to the success of job shadowig. The purpose is to express appreciatio to the perso for his or her time ad to stregthe the relatioship betwee the school ad the busiess. Guidelies for writig a thak-you ote Be eat. Be brief. Sed the ote withi two days after completig the job-shadowig experiece. Suggested format for a thak-you ote [Your Address] [Date] [Full ame of Work-site Coordiator or Work-site Metor] [Compay ame] [Street Address] [City, State, Zip Code] Dear [Mr., Ms. or Mrs. Coordiator s or Metor s Last Name]: Paragraph 1: Thak your Work-site Coordiator or Work-site Metor for his or her time ad effort. Paragraph 2: Tell him or her why the experiece was importat to you ad your studets. Share some thigs you leared from the experiece. Paragraph 3: Tell how your experiece will help motivate studets to work harder ad achieve at a higher level. Paragraph 4: Add ay other positive commets you would like to make. Sicerely, [Sigature] [Your full Name] Job Shadowig for Teachers 13

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