How to set up a Job Club: Vocational School Lesson Plans

What is the purpose of education? To prepare students for real life jobs, careers and situations. Here are real life lesson plans for students using a Job Club format. Teach economics, technology, marketing, business English, freshman success, STAR, adult education, alternative education, communications and real life skills. 

Job Club Foundation: Prepare students for real life circumstances and choices by working within the world of work. Align content to students' career paths and current job situations. Teach working collaboratively on real life skills, not just busy work. 

Assess career aptitude and interest. Choose measures which reflect current trends, are positive and enjoyable. Informal discussion can produce some useful information. Validate and realistically support student choices. Guide student research into job market and practical career outlook. 

Develop student focus groups. Divide into four basic areas: science/ engineering (electronics, building trades, HVAC, technology, forestry, and trades) helping/ human services (counseling, medical, teaching, child care, culinary arts,etc.), arts and entertainment (media, musicians, sports, design, art, theater). Where you assign students will depend upon the slant they choose to explore, where they may currently work, how far they plan to go into the trade, etc. Match groups based upon common skill Change groups occasionally if after research, students choose different careers or the focus of the career path changes.

Job Club Framework: If job club is part of a larger curriculum (marketing, economics, etc.) meet once a week; Mondays or Fridays are best. 

Job Club Materials:  

  several computers with Internet access for research.

  smartphones to set up interviews, job shadowing, appointments, etc.

  phone books, local maps, and current occupational reference handbooks

  focus group bulletin board for job postings, career seminars and information, opportunities

Job Club Meeting Format of the job club: Focus groups gather to share and then present to large group. 

Each person gets a limited time to share. Discussion should focus on two areas: real life experiences and research. Real life discussion might include: experiences, difficulties, opportunities experienced in workplace, tips to help each other, job openings, new legislation. Research discussion should include training school reviews, internships, career fairs, skill set development, useful websites, trade journals, new frontiers, emerging specialties, job openings, scholarships, college opportunities, course offerings, apprenticeships, test prep, local and state businesses within the field, community resources, job search site evaluations. 

  

Job Club Syllabus and Homework. Students should generate a resume, complete at least three job interviews (for a full year class); one could be simulated, complete and maintain an online job profile, apply for 5 jobs, programs or colleges using different methods (fax, email, in person, ZOOM or virtual, online application, phone), bring in one piece of information per week, practice active listening, provide useful reflective feedback, take notes and disseminate information via meeting minutes, monthly newsletter, emails or a webpage, problem-solve within their groups, be accountable supportive to group members.

This framework should provide a good start toward career preparation within the classroom.

Free Printable Reading Response Journal Rubric

Looking for creative ways to teach reading or literature units? Use reading response journals. Here's a template to make student reading response journal. Use for English, ELA (English language arts), literature, reading and writing classes. Use for Readers Workshop (a popular interactive reading group method used in elementary and middle school). Here's the reading response journal format.

Give each student a single subject notebook (wireless notebooks work best). Use the same one for all lesson plans or start a new one for each unit or book genre study. In middle and high school, students should make separate response journals for longer books and more comprehensive literature studies. All written assignments are completed in this notebook (except a final project).

Create a blocked calendar chart, like a bingo card, with 5 columns and 5 rows of squares. Label columns with main components of ELA curriculum: reading, writing, speaking, listening and multisensory response. Label rows with higher order thinking skills (HOTS): Recall/Comprehension, Analysis (structure), Applications (text to text, text-to-life connections), Synthesis (text to new use), Evaluation (thoughts, feelings, opinions, rationale).

Write 25 literature response activities for a month or of assignments. List one assignment per box. Leave room to write in specifics. Photocopy (students complete similar activities for each book or genre studied). Attach to inside front cover of journal.

Tailor activities to state objectives, and student ability. Make it flexible enough for special needs accommodations and student learning styles, Give options. Let students choose 22 out of the 25 activities and do the last three for extra credit if desired. Students may complete assignments in any order. They can double up on slower days and skip assignments on busier days.

Each assignment should take 30 minutes to complete: two paragraphs of writing or 30 minutes of reading, speaking and listening. Assignments are completed in the notebook, labeled according by chosen activity and dated.

Initial completed activities in each box and note the points (in pen). Make notes or correction on the response page. Keep copies of each students chart for your records or keep digital copies. Each activity is worth 30 points: 18 points for content and quality, 7 for mechanics (spelling, punctuation and grammar), 3 for neatness/clarity, 1 for being on time (calculated at the end of the month) and 1 for proper labeling. (name, date, class, period),

Reading Response Activities from Bloom's Taxonomy

. Here are ways to help students engage with books. Use these for Readers Workshop and reading group response activities. Teach interactive ELA (English language arts) literature-based activities. Book activities are hands-on, multi-sensory, cross-curricular Montessori-style.

Book club. Use these DIY Summer Reading Camp program printables from Education.com. Kids organize the reading club, choose books, think up response activities and host events. Serve snacks.

Book party. When the reading group completes a book, have a party to celebrate! Serve snacks and foods mentioned in the book. Make crafts. Host a coffee shop in the classroom, like adult book clubs. Kids will love being very grown-up.

Group reading incentives. Get involved with Pizza Hut Book-It program (homeschoolers, you can participate, too). Have a pizza party after completing reading goals. Reward reading by giving books as prizes.

Fundraise while reading. Each completed book or hour of reading donates money to a chosen charity. This give-back is a great way to incent reading while teaching kids that they don't always need to get prizes. Reading is reward enough. Helping others while doing it is even better. Check out the One More Story program. It raises money for RIF Reading is Fundamental.

Readers theater, Students read stories in chorale format. Readers must use voice, inflection, projection and emphasis as if they were on stage, but there's no acting and they're seated.

Puppet show. Make book character puppets. Have kids retell story. Or let them write their own stories using homemade puppets. High school and middle school students can create a puppet show to put on for elementary students. They'll love re-reading favorite books from childhood.

Radio play. Invent a student radio station (WRDR, BOOK, READ). Using reader's theater techniques, dramatize story. Create sound effects. Add fake commercials related to book. A Moby Dick radio play might feature Whale-B-Gone" spray or Happy Hunter's Harpoons. Present on local or school radio station.

Book to film. Students fill roles as director, properties, scenery. Make character costumes. Create sets. Design props. Do stage make-up and special effects. Act out story. Film the production. Upload book-based films and skits to Youtube. Present to students.

Literature based music videos. Take the playlist selected and create a book-based music video. Select images from free online photo sharing sites. Draw images from the story. Or best of all, have students take their own photos and use these. Make into a slideshow using Windows Media Player. Create presentations with Microsoft Powerpoint.