SPED Guidance Lesson
By: Nina Martinsen
Topic: Career and Academic Planning: How do we work through
challenges and how do we make decisions?
Grade level: 10th grade
Rationale: In this lesson, students will gain knowledge about how
to make decisions and how to overcome obstacles that can get between us and a
future goal. It is important for students to understand how to face challenges
that may get in the way of their career path or doing well in a high school
class. By participating in this lesson, students will be able to describe future
goals, discuss possible obstacles, how to problem solve, and learn skills they
can use in their future classes or life experiences. To show that the students
have learned how to make decisions and problem solve, each student will fill
out a post assessment asking them about their future goal, obstacles they may
face, resources to access, and internal qualities they can use to reach their
goals.
Applicable standard(s), objective(s), competency(ies):
-Students
will gain an understanding of different ways they can overcome an obstacle.
-Students
will learn how to problem solve to reach their goal.
-Students
will work together to discuss challenges and use creativity and teamwork to
come up with a solution.
-Students
will learn the importance of planning for the future.
Introduction
Overview: To help students
identify career and academic goals with associated obstacles. Help them to
practice problem solving real-life situations in order to reach their goal.
Activate previous knowledge: In
opening, discuss previous lesson about career and academic goals. Discuss
current problem solving techniques and their effectiveness.
Create anticipation: allow
students to be creative, brainstorm possible situations, and to make each
situation personal to their lives.
Developmental Learning Activities designed
to meet the objective(s)
Introduction: counselor will
begin a conversation about the importance of overcoming obstacles that get in
our path towards a goal. It is important for students to understand that
obstacles are a natural part of life and that we each have internal qualities
and outside resources that help us overcome these hardships.
Activity 1: Creating
obstacles
Students
will get into pairs and stand facing each other. One student will be the
obstacle creator and the other the solver. The obstacle creator will draw with
their hands/body an obstacle that the solver needs to get around, over, or
through. the solver will then attempt to maneuver through the obstacle.
Students will switch roles after a few minutes.
Debrief: The group will get
back together and the counselor will ask similar questions-
-How
did you feel when you were approaching the obstacle?
-What
thoughts were going through your head to try to solve the problem?
-Did
you think of different ways to solve it?
-What
makes you try something or not?
-Were
there movements that were more difficult than others?
-Notice
how it feels to be confronted with an obstacle. How do you respond to it?
-Where
do you feel it in your body? Does it cause you to move in a particular way?
Activity 2: Identifying
academic obstacles and resources
Transition: when we approach
an academic obstacle, we many encounter similar feelings to a physical
obstacle. There are two directions we should look to find a solution to these
problems – internally and externally.
-Have
students identify internal qualities that help them succeed and external resources
to access to solve a problem. These will be written on the board for everyone
to see.
-Ask
questions like: what qualities does a person have who can solve problems? Who
can help you with a problem? What kind of effort will it take to accomplish a
goal? What are skills of someone who reaches their goal?
-Then
have students list an academic goal and 2-3 obstacles they may face when
achieving their goal. Have students write each obstacle on individual index
cards.
-Next,
get students back into their pairs and trade obstacle cards with their partner.
For example, student A will hold student B’s obstacle cards to show them as
they practice overcoming their obstacle.
-In
the activity, the student pairs will show an obstacle to their partner. The
partner will then discuss why this is an obstacle and identify 3 resources
(both external and internal) that they can use to solve their problem.
-Debrief:
once each partner shares their obstacle with one another, students will join
the larger group again and discuss thought processes.
-Did
you feel similarities or differences between the physical and academic barrier
when trying to solve it? What led you to choose certain resources over others? Describe your thought process when you saw the
obstacle in front of you.
-Make
sure students are writing down their thought process and resources used on
their worksheet.
How
do these activities meet the objectives of the lesson?
These
activities help students connect a physical obstacle challenge with a mental/
academic one. It also allows them to be exposed to the fact that they have
internal qualities that allow them to be successful already as well as
community and school resources they can access. Processing through the thought
process on how to solve a problem will help students verbalize how to approach
an obstacle they may face.
Assessment/Evaluation
Summarize: We are here to
learn how we approach obstacles and identify resources that we can use to
overcome obstacles we face.
Post-assessment: have
students fill out handout while working and at end of lesson to:
-Identify
one academic goal
-Identify
three obstacles/challenges you may face in reaching this goal
-Identify
three external resources that are available to help you through these
challenges
-Identify
three internal qualities that can help you in reaching this goal
Resources
-Board
to write where everyone can see.
-Room
to move and explore.
-Note
cards/Obstacle cards (3 per person): for example, an obstacle may be “parents”,
“got the cold”, or “sport practice after school”. Allow students the
opportunity to create their own obstacles that they have experienced.
-Prepared
resource list students can use for help.
-Handouts
for students to write academic/career plan.
-Post-assessment.
