Grade 11 - "It is up to you….you decide"

Junior year in high school is a very important time. This is the year for really taking responsibility for your life now and after high school graduation. This is the year to make some decisions about the future education and career goals, and to find the information and resources that will be most helpful for serious planning for the future.

Table of Contents

Workshop 1: Taking Responsibility for Career and Life Choices

Workshop 2: Organizing and Analyzing Information (Career and College Focus)

Workshop 3: Understanding All Aspects of Industry

Workshop 4: Interacting with Others

Workshop 5: Acting Professionally

Junior Calendar and Checklist

INTRODUCTION TO GRADE 11 AND 12

The eleventh and twelfth grade materials in this resource book are presented as practical information and activities to focus on career decision-making and planning for the last two years of high school. Many of these activities are familiar to school counselors and have been part of the individual and group guidance program for a number of years.

However, in this resource book, the organization of a career guidance program for eleventh graders is a more integrated part of an ongoing developmental career guidance program. It is designed for career and educational research and action planning by students for their post-secondary futures.

The eleventh and twelfth grade sequence of workshops outlines an approach to helping students gain an overview of important goals for planning and decision-making throughout the year.

For the junior year activities, the School to Career objectives are used as a framework for workshop sessions. The sequence and the number of workshops can be modified or changed to fit the diverse schedules, resources and context of each high school.

For juniors, the first workshop is a fall orientation. The series of workshops later in the year are related to career and educational choices and to employment related issues through research and presentations. The final workshop is a spring orientation for senior year planning and preparation.

The senior activities begin with orientation sessions for parents and for seniors to outline graduation requirements and options after high school. During the year, meetings with seniors based on their interests beyond high school are scheduled. Included in the twelfth grade materials is a useful college planning guide, and a job/career guide for work beyond high school.

The eleventh and twelfth grade activities may be coordinated with job placement and School-to-Career resources, which exist in some high schools and/or scheduled with classroom teachers and their students.

The materials included for both junior and senior year may be helpful in assisting school counselors in providing pertinent information and directions to students as they plan their career and educational options.

Grade 11 - "It is up to you….you decide"

Junior year in high school is a very important time. This is the year for really taking responsibility for your life now and after high school graduation. This is the year to make some decisions about future education and career goals, and to find the information and resources that will be most helpful for serious planning for the future.

Workshop 1 - Taking Responsibility for Career and Life Choices

Suggested timetable: Fall Orientation, 45 minutes.

Counselors will:

  • Activity: Review graduation requirements, attendance and tardiness policies, and College and Career Center use.
  • Activity: Review NCAA clearinghouse requirements and state college requirements.
  • Activity: Discuss transcript and what it means for career and academic planning.
  • Activity: Review junior year calendar (attached).
  • Activity: Encourage students to attend career and college fairs (provide ongoing information on upcoming events).
Students will:
  • Activity: Register for PSAT (especially for those considering college).
  • Activity: Set individual academic and career goals for the next two years.
  • Activity: Plan extracurricular and community service activities, which will support career goals.
  • Activity: Review the use of "One on One" (PSAT review) on College and Career Center computers.

Workshop 2 - Organizing and Analyzing Information (Career and College Focus)

Session 1

Counselors will:
  • Activity:Review results of Harrington O'Shea (or other instrument) taken in previous grade.
  • Activity:Discuss various post-graduation options (apprenticeships, higher education, military service, and working).
Students will:
  • Activity:Update resumes.
  • Activity:Review and revise list of possible careers, or jobs within chosen vocational field.
  • Activity:Using EXPAN, Occupational Outlook Handbook and other resources in the College and Career Center begin researching one field of vocational interest including necessary skills, further education needed, job market, etc. (sample form provided).

Session 2

Counselors will:
  • Activity:Check that students have social security numbers.
Students will:
  • Activity:Research two or more areas of career interest (form to be provided).
  • Activity:Generate list of potential colleges or other post-secondary options (2 years or technical colleges, apprenticeships, military) for primary field of interest.
Workshop 3 - Understanding all aspects of industry

Suggested Timetable: midyear, two 45-minute sessions

Session 1

Counselors will:
  • Activity:Encourage internships
Students will:
  • Activity:Include career research results in portfolio.
  • Activity:Present results of research on one career (from Workshop 2) to small groups.

Session 2

Counselors will:
  • Activity:Invite guest speakers from a variety of career fields, (try to include working parents, a single parent, school graduate, and/or representative from non-traditional fields).
Workshop 4 - Interacting with others

Timetable: midyear, two 45-minute sessions

Session 1

Counselors and Students will:
  • Activity:Conduct mock job interviews.
  • Activity:Review "The Job Interview" handout.

Session 2

Counselors will:
  • Activity:Discuss conflict management in the workplace and with peers.
Students will:
  • Activity:Role-play conflict management situations in the workplace.
Workshop 5 - Acting professionally

Timetable: spring session, two 45-minute periods

Session 1

Students will:
  • Activity:Begin working on a personal statement (potential essay for college bound students).

Session 2

Counselors will:
  • Activity:Provide information on SAT, TOEFL, and ELPT registration and preparation.
  • Activity:Encourage students to take SAT practice tests available on the College and Career Center computers.
  • Activity:Distribute higher education options and review college application process.
Students will:
  • Activity:Complete working draft of personal statement / essay.

Additional/optional workshop topics:(to be coordinated with Student Support Services or Health Services)

  • Peer Mediation
  • Stress Management
  • Time Management
  • Teen Dating Violence
  • Building Self Esteem

**Junior Calendar and Checklist