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Helping Students Plan
for Success!
By Rhonda Schaar, Principal
South Middle School
Many 6th grade students aren’t thinking about graduation and
beyond. However as adults, one of our responsibilities is to lead
them in a direction that will prepare them for the best possible
future. This involves early planning and guidance that continues
into their High School career and beyond. At Greenville Middle
School we have quite a variety of opportunities to help guide students
into possible career choices. These experiences begin early in
school and build upon that guidance in the fifth and sixth grade.
As a district, state, and society it is essential to guide our children
into a pathway of choices for their future that includes specific job
training, a variety of educational opportunities and is based on the
needs, as well as interest, of the whole child.
The Greenville City Schools’ Board of Education has outlined the
priority of career advising in a policy that aligns with new state
law. The proposed policy describes career advising as “helping
students understand themselves relative to their abilities, aptitudes,
interests, attitudes, strengths and their decisions relating to
educational and career matters.”(IJA) Currently, teachers,
counselors and administrators from grades 6-12 are assisting students
in gaining career knowledge, experiences and developing Student Success
Plans (SSP). The Student Success Plan is just one part of a whole
process to guide students through options and choices allowing school
graduation to become the stepping stone needed for a successful
future. These plans are becoming more formalized and relevant to
the changing needs of our student population as well as aligning with
state expectations. Beginning in fifth grade, this process
becomes focused on individual student needs as each child progresses
through their school journey. This process, along with
documentation of career exploration, assists students in choosing from
available options and allows them to create the most appropriate
pathway toward an individual career and life plan.
At Greenville Middle School the teachers provide surveys and
inventories that help the students become aware of individual learning
styles, preferences of acquiring information and a variety of tools to
make learning accessible for each child. Learning becomes
meaningful and purposeful when students understand how they learn and
teachers apply that to the instruction being taught. The connection
between curriculum and careers is essential. As students become
aware of interests, learning styles and aptitudes throughout the fifth
and sixth grade, teachers provide a variety of opportunities in which
children can begin the process of “thinking” about future careers
connected to their strengths and interests.
Specifically, in the fifth grade, teachers design a research project
that applies many academic skills acquired throughout the year based on
the Ohio Learning Standards. This project requires students to
research a career that is aligned with their skills and interests based
on an online inventory completed by each student. The students
then spend a few weeks researching that career in depth and write a
research paper based on specifics to the researched career, which
include the education needed, salary, benefits, etc. The fifth
grade students also participate in an annual health fair in which
medical careers and jobs are highlighted through an exploratory
approach. The students are highly engaged and interested in
exploring the different options offered at an age-appropriate
level. The fair is held each spring at the Darke County
Fairgrounds.
During the sixth grade year, the opportunities for students include the
use of a variety of interest, learning style as well as personality
style inventories. Children are becoming more aware of the world
around them and their role in it. As students grow and
achieve we recognize the necessity in guiding their interests to a
logical path that will encourage reflections of opportunities. At
this grade level, opportunities for learning about potential careers
have included; guest speakers from Edison about educational and career
choices, guest speakers from specific careers, social studies economic
projects, activities such as the FETCH program (Financial Education
Teaches Children Healthy Habits) and the annual Bridges to College
visit to Edison in Piqua.
Bridges to College is a Darke County non-profit organization helping in
the student's journey from high school to college; “by providing
educational programming, advising, and needs-based scholarships to high
school students.” (www.bridges2college.org) Though the program is
based in Greenville, it assists Ansonia and Greenville High School
students and their parents navigate the complicated waters of secondary
education and career choices. “Bridges to College believes
that educated citizens are the basis of a prosperous local economy and
are the foundation of the future high quality of life in Darke
County.” From early awareness programs in second grade to college
clubs at the high school level, Bridges to College supports the youth
of Darke County by promoting the best possible future for each
child. At the sixth grade level Bridges to College supports an
annual field trip to the Edison Campus in Piqua. The students are
provided the opportunity to explore multiple degree choices and the
careers aligned with those degrees. There are activities, games
and information to encourage the students in beginning the process of
choosing a path for their future in an informed manner.
The opportunities afforded in the fifth and sixth grade at Greenville
Middle School are steps in the journey children take to become
productive citizens with employable skills. It is the natural
path taken to honor the task given to the school district by our Board
of Education and community. We will educate students based on
each child’s needs and encourage a greater understanding of themselves
as they plan for a successful and productive future. Though most
fifth and sixth graders aren’t thinking beyond the next ten minutes
there’s a plan in place in Greenville City Schools to facilitate their
growth, achievement and future success.
Those interested in additional information regarding tools and support
for career exploration should investigate the online resources
available through the Ohio Department of Education. OhioMeansJobs
K-12 is one highly recommended planning tool for information.
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