JOB READINESS
WEEK FIVE DAY
ONE
Lesson
Title: The
Dynamics of Interviewing
Subject
Matter/Life Skill Area: Job
Readiness
Learning
Level/Prerequisite Skills: 9th
Grade Level
Lesson
Length: Two
hours
Instruction
Type: Whole
group instruction/discussion with pair exercise
Overview
and Rationale:
This activity is designed to allow students the
opportunity to watch a video based on strategies for interviewing successfully.
Students will also have the opportunity to practice using the video/VCR/TV
equipment.
Learning
Objectives/ Skills:
At the completion of this lesson, the learner will be
able to identify the positive qualities/skills that are necessary to be
successful in an interview for a job opening. The learner will be able to
operate a TV and VCR.
Skills:
Speaking, listening, using technology
Materials
/ Equipment Needed:
Recommended Video: The Dynamics of Interviewing, or a video that discusses the positive
skills one should have when going for a job interview.
VCR/TV
Paper
and pencil
Handout:
Key Interview Tips
How
to Prepare:
Introduction
/Warm Up / Review:
Review body language activities from a previous
lesson. Ask students what the main objective of writing a resume is (getting an
interview). Ask students what do they do if they get an interview and don't get
the job (remain positive and think of the interview as a learning experience).
Ask students to jot down any skills they think are
necessary when going for a job interview. Give students a few minutes to think
about these skills.
Elicit responses from students and write their
responses on the board. Take a few minutes to find out why students think these
skills are necessary and important.
If any students have had prior experience with the
interview process, ask them to share the experience with the class. Remind
students that even if the interview did not end with a job offer, the interview
experience is valuable and that it sometimes takes many interviews to feel
comfortable with the process.
Presentation
of Lesson:
Let students know that they are going to watch a
video that shows the interview process. Let them know they should take notes for
a discussion that will follow after the video.
Ask students if any of them are familiar with the
TV/VCR equipment that is to be used to show the Interviewing video. Allow a pair of students to begin the video and
let other students know that they will also have the opportunity to use the
equipment. Show the video.
Practice/Activity:
After
students have watched the video, elicit answers to the questions:
What tips or techniques come to mind as you were watching the video?
What did you learn by watching the interview process?
What are some things that you "shouldn't" do?
In your past experience, what did you do differently
than what you saw in the video? Anything else?
Have students' pair up. Instruct students to divide
their papers in half and number each side from 1-10. Label one side "What
to Do" and label the other side "What Not To Do." Ask students to
work together to formulate a list for each side of the paper. This list should
be based on what they have learned during the video and through the classroom
discussion.
As pairs finish their lists, have them
"post" them to the bulletin board or a blank section of wall. Students
can mingle and compare lists with the different pairs. When all of the lists
have been posted, create a "new list" on the board by asking students
to reach an agreement of which was the number one choice from the "What to
Do" list, by all groups, and follow the same format for 2-10 responses. A
new list has now been created by popular vote.
Ask students to comment on the new list and encourage
students to share opinions. Let students know that in different situations,
other skills may be necessary, but these skills will help them to feel
comfortable with the process. Let students know that they will be given the
opportunity for role playing the interview process.
Application/
Transfer:
Give pairs the opportunity to practice using the
TV/VCR equipment. While pairs are working with the equipment, have other
students write down the list from the board, leaving space under each skill to
make some reflective comments about the skill and the interview process.
Pass out the handout on Interview Tips. Have students
read each one out loud, taking time to discuss each one as it is read. Ask
students to make comments about how important the tip is and whether it is
relevant to them. Ask which tips will be challenging and will require extra
preparation to be ready for the interview.
Reflection by
Teacher
Were the students able to pick out the most important
interview skills from the video? Did students participate in the discussion? Did
they add any personal experience to the discussion?
Planning
for Next Lesson
The lesson for the following day will give students
the opportunity to further analyze and discuss the interview process by focusing
on case studies. Read over the case studies for tomorrow's lesson.
Think about your own personal interview experience
that you might share with the class.
WEEK FIVE DAY
TWO
Lesson
Title: Case
Studies on Interviewing
Subject
Matter/Life Skill Area: Job
Readiness
Learning
Level/Prerequisite Skills: 9th
Grade Level
Lesson
Length: Two
hours
Instruction
Type:
Students will work in groups, with a whole group
discussion following activity.
Overview/Rationale:
This unit is designed so that students can study some
case study scenarios of events that may happen during an interview process.
Students will decide on the action/s to take based on each case study. They will
draw upon previous experience as well as information learned from classroom
study previous to this lesson.
Learning
Objectives/ Skills:
At the completion of this lesson, the learner will be
able to recognize positive and negative actions during the interview process.
Students will suggest actions to take for each scenario.
Skills:
Speaking, listening, reading, writing
Materials/
Equipment Needed:
Handout:
The Interview - Case Studies
Paper
and pencil for each student
How
to Prepare (Skills needed by instructor):
The instructor can prepare by previewing the case
studies, making notes of possible scenarios that students may prepare. Be
prepared to discuss/answer any questions students may have.
Introduction/Warm
Up/ Review:
Review yesterday's group discussion on the dynamics
of interviewing. Ask students what they would do if:
They arrived to an interview late?
Were under/over qualified for the job?
Were nervous? Did not have the opportunity to discuss
your qualities and experiences?
Write any responses students have on the board.
Openly discuss any experiences students have with these scenarios.
Presentation of
Lesson:
Let students know that they will be studying case
studies of events that may happen during the interview process, and that they
will come up with a plan of action to prevent the scenario from happening, or
some alternative actions if it does.
Ask students to find a partner that they have not
previously worked with before. Have students sit with their partner and move
about the room so that there is ample space between pairs. Instruct students
that they will read a case study of an event that happened during an interview
process and that they are to decide what went wrong and how they could prevent
the case study from happening to them. They can write up their
responses/solutions and be prepared to present their case study and solutions to
the class.
Practice/Activity:
Hand out the case study handout to each student.
There are ten case studies on the handout. Assign each pair to a case study. If
there are any case studies left over, another round of study may take place if
there is time available.
Give students thirty minutes to review the case
study, to discuss it together, to formulate a written and verbal presentation of
the scenario, and their responses/solutions to the scenario.
Application/Transfer:
Allow each pair to present their case study and their
solution to the group. Allow students to ask questions. Be ready to aid students
when they are unable to answer a question, or ask other students if they have an
answer they would like to share.
As each group presents their case study, students can
write down comments and observations made during the discussion. Follow up with
a question and answer period based on the case studies presented.
If time, assign another case study, but ask students
to find a new partner to work with. Repeat the exercise.
Reflection by
Teacher:
Did students adequately relay anecdotal solutions to
the case studies? Did they support each other in the pair process? How
comfortable were students during their pair presentation?
Planning for
Next Lesson:
Think about the role-playing scenarios that can be
developed from today's case studies. How can students learn from today's
experience by developing some role-playing scenarios as an extension from this
activity?
WEEK FIVE DAY
THREE
Lesson
Title: Do's
and Don'ts of Interviewing Through Role-playing
Subject
Matter/Life Skill Area: Job
Readiness
Learning
Level/Prerequisite Skills: 9th
Grade Level
Lesson
Length:
Two
hours
Instruction
Type: Whole
group instruction/discussion with pair exercise
Overview
and Rationale:
This activity will give students the opportunity to
further their study on the job interview process. Students will develop some
role-playing scenarios based on previous studies of interview case studies.
Learning
Objectives / Skills:
At the completion of this lesson, students will be
able to imitate the interview process from both the interviewer and the
interviewee perspectives. Students will be able to translate case studies into a
role-play situation in order to mock the interview process in order to gain
experience before an actual interview.
Skills: Speaking, listening, reading, and writing,
creative thinking, problem solving, sociability, self-management
Materials /
Equipment Needed:
Handout: The
Interview - Case Studies, Common Interview Questions
Chalkboard and Chalk
Paper and pencil
Index Cards (5 x 7), one for each student
Video Equipment (to film mock interviews)
How
to Prepare:
The instructor can prepare by thinking about each
case scenario and the possible dialogues that can be generated from each
scenario. Students will be creating their own dialogues, but based on
yesterday's case studies, student teams will role-play their scenarios.
Introduction
/ Warm Up / Review:
Hand out The
Interview - Case Studies from yesterday's activities. Review the case
studies students and student created solutions. Elicit 'Interview' language from
students as they review the cases. Put these key words and phrases on the board.
Help students to re-phrase any wording that needs to be enhanced or re-worded.
Ask students to look at the terminology listed on the board and to add any
terminology that is missing or would enhance an interview scenario. Give
students the opportunity (about 5-10 minutes) to practice the phrases listed on
the board. This is an open-dialogue time and students can select a partner to
practice with.
Presentation
of Lesson:
After students have been give sufficient time to
dialogue with a partner, ask if there are any questions, or if students would
like any examples of intonation with the phrases listed on the board. Ask
students to give verbal examples of the phrases listed on the board. Have
students write them down.
Ask students to give examples of things to do and
things not to do during the interview. List these on the board and ask for any
clarifications.
Practice
/ Activity:
Let students know that they will now develop a
two-person dialogue. Initially, one person will serve as the interviewer and the
other, the interviewee. After developing the dialogue, students will role-play
the dialogue. When they have sufficiently practiced one role, they will switch
roles and role-play the other role.
Write the following on the board:
Each dialogue should be based on a case study from yesterday's activity.
Each dialogue will last 5-10 minutes.
Each pair will present the dialogue to the class after development and
practice.
Application
/ Transfer:
Ask students to pick a partner for today's activity,
or you may want to select a partner for each student based on previous partner
experience. Give partners a few minutes to decide on which case study they will
create a dialogue for and ask them to declare it by writing their names and case
study on the board. Try to negotiate it so that there is no duplication, but
allow students to have the final determination.
Give student pairs 30-45 minutes to develop and
practice their dialogue. Remind them that they need to role-play both roles, but
that they will only represent one role during the presentation. Circulate and
lend assistance when needed. Try to support without actually creating the
presentation for students.
After 45 minutes, bring the group together and ask
pairs to share their dialogue. Ensure students that this is a practice scenario
and that there is often more than one way to express oneself orally, but that
each person should relax and be "themselves." You may want to
videotape dialogues to play back to students.
As students are doing their mock interviews, fill out
an index card for each student, listing three "glows" and a
"grow." (Glow: makes eye contact, Grow: swivels in chair)
After group presentations, elicit comments and
critiques from students. Record on the board. Preview tomorrow's activity, which
will be the practicing the problem questions/ and answers, which occur during
the interview. Make sure students have their IDP for tomorrow's activity.
Reflection
by Teacher:
Were students able to create dialogues for the
role-play activity? After listening to the role-play language of students, are
they able to articulate phrases and terminology that will enhance their
interview experience?
Planning
for Next Lesson:
Students should practice their responses to a list of
common interview questions.
JOB READINESS
WEEK FIVE DAY
FOUR
Lesson
Title: Interviewing
for Success
Subject
Matter/Life Skill Area: Job
Readiness
Learning
Level/Prerequisite Skills: 9th
Grade Level
Lesson
Length: Two
hours
Instruction
Type: Whole
group discussion following guest speaker
Overview
and Rationale:
Students will have the opportunity to listen to a
guest speaker from a local agency speak about what employers are looking for in
a new employee, and present some information from local hiring agencies.
Learning
Objectives / Skills:
At the completion of this lesson, the learner will be
able to use the information presented by today's guest speaker during their
future interview experiences. Students will fill out a pocket resume to use as a
resource when they take part in the interview process.
Skills: Speaking, listening, reading, and writing,
understands systems, self-esteem
Materials
/ Equipment Needed:
Check with guest speaker for any materials or
equipment that will be needed during their presentation. Suggested: Overhead
Projector
Chalkboard and Chalk
Paper and Pencil
Pocket Resume
for Job Interviews brochure available at the Virginia Employment Commission, or a similar
resume format
How
to Prepare (Skills needed by Instructor):
Guest
speakers should be a person familiar with the interview process and could be
from any local hiring agency, employment commission, education resource, or
temporary hiring agency.
The instructor can prepare by becoming familiar with
the Pocket Resume. The instructor can
also become familiar with the speaker's agenda, formulate a list of questions
that might be appropriate to ask the speaker, and provide copies of the agenda
for each student.
Introduction /
Warm Up / Review:
Review the week's activities with students and relate
the activities to the speaker's agenda. Handout the agenda and clarify any
questions students might have. Ask for volunteers to set up any equipment needed
by the guest speaker. Have them test the equipment to insure it is working
properly.
Presentation of
Lesson:
Introduce the guest speaker, taking time to share
relevant experience that the guest speaker has to today's activity. Presentation
of guest speaker: approximately an hour with questions/answers.
Practice /
Activity:
When the guest speaker has finished his/her
presentation, lead students in thanking the speaker for their time and
consideration.
Application /
Transfer:
After the speaker has left, facilitate a discussion
by students about the presentation. Answer any questions students may have.
Pass out the Pocket
Resume to each student. Ask students to volunteer to read information
contained within the pamphlet and answer any questions students may have. Ask
students to take 10-15 minutes to fill in the resume. The Pocket Resume can be kept in the student's portfolio or be taken on
an upcoming interview.
Break students in to groups of 3/4 and have them
prepare a brief presentation of Lessons Learned from the week's activities.
Allow ten minutes for preparation and five minutes for presentation to the
class. An informal agenda can be made using a transparency.
Reflection by
Teacher:
How effective was the guest speaker and did he/she
provide enough information about the interview process and what employers are
looking for? Were students engaged in the presentation and ask pertinent
questions at appropriate times?
Planning for
Next Lesson:
Prepare
by collecting the appropriate materials for the next lesson.
JOB READINESS
WEEK FIVE DAY
FIVE
Lesson
Title: Writing
Cover Letters and Thank You Letters
Subject
Matter/Life Skill Area: Job
Readiness
Learning
Level/Prerequisite Skills: 9th
Grade Level
Lesson
Length:
One
hour
Instruction
Type: Whole
group instruction with discussion
Overview
and Rationale:
This activity is designed to give students the
opportunity to become familiar with correspondence that is appropriate to use
when job searching.
Learning
Objectives/ Skills:
At the completion of this lesson, the learner will be
able to identify various styles of letters that are used when searching for a
job. Students will learn how to write an effective cover letter and thank you
letter.
Skills:
Writings, speaking, listening, using technology
Materials
/ Equipment Needed:
Paper
and pencil
Handout:
Cover Letter Tips, one copy for each
student, examples of cover and thank you letters
Note:
The handout was printed material used from Virginia Employment Commission
Newspaper
want-ads
How
to Prepare:
The
instructor can prepare by becoming familiar with cover letters and thank you
letters, what makes an impressive letter, and what not to do when writing a
letter. Make copies of handouts.
Introduction
/ Warm Up / Review:
Ask
students to review the resume writing exercises. As students recall the
activities, write any review tips on the board. Have students get out their
resumes for reference during the instruction of cover and thank you letters.
Presentation
of Lesson:
Ask students if they have ever written a cover letter
and if so, get examples. Write any important information on the board. Ask
students what criteria would make a good cover letter and write information on
board.
Practice
/ Activity:
Let students know that a cover letter is a letter
that covers your resume, provides a summary of your most important skills, and
is usually written for a specific job.
Pass out examples of cover letters and ask students
to discuss the letters with a partner. They should make notations of things they
notice about the cover letter. Ask the whole class to share what notations they
have made and write them on the board.
Pass out the handout on cover letter tips. Facilitate
a class discussion on the tips. Ask students for input on any experience they
have had with cover letters.
Application
/ Transfer:
Pass out the cover letter worksheet and have students
write a cover letter for a job that they would like to have. Students can refer
to their resumes for their high skill areas. Students can use want ads if they
have no specific job in mind. They should choose a job from the ads so that they
have a letter that is written for a specific job.
Have students read their letters out loud to the
class when they have finished.
Work through the same steps in Practice and
Application, this time with a thank you letter. Students may select a specific
target to write their letter for. Have students share thank you letters also.
Reflection
by Teacher:
Were students able to effectively write an acceptable
cover letter and thank you letter?
Planning
for Next Lesson:
Students should type cover and thank you letters in
the Technology strand and bring back to the Job Readiness strand for editing and
review. Review tomorrow's activity on interviewing.
Lesson
Title: Memo
Writing and Telephone Message Taking
Subject
Matter / Life Skill Area: Academic
and Job Readiness
Learning
Level / Prerequisite Skills: 9th Grade Reading and Math
Lesson
Length: One
hour
Instruction
Type: Whole
group, pair work, Simulation/role play
Overview and Rationale:
Learning
Objectives / Skills:
At the completion of this lesson, the student will be
able to identify the essential components of a memo, scan a memo to locate
important information, proofread to assure subject/verb agreement, give and take
clear telephone messages.
Skills: The
ability to convey ideas in writing, to speak so others can understand, to listen
actively, to scan for important information and to edit written work.
Handouts:
Various examples from textbooks were utilized. Several possibilities are:
Oxford University Press
GED any text with reading in the workplace
Workplace Essential Skills
Memo
pads: four memos per student
How
to Prepare:
Make
copies of the handout and review the materials.
Introduction
/ Warm Up / Review:
On the chalkboard, create a mind map of why we use
memos at home and at work, e.g. as reminders, notice of important events, notice
of policy changes, to write telephone messages, etc.
Elicit
from the students the important components to include in a memo:
Date:
To:
From:
Subject
(Re):
Short
Message:
Presentation
of Lesson:
Use Handout A as an example of a memo. Ask students
to scan quickly to gather the important components listed above, as well as to
determine if any action need be taken in response to the memo.
Working in pairs, proofread several memos (see
Handout B), checking to be sure all of the important components are included and
that spelling and grammar are correct. Share findings with the whole group.
Using a GED grammar workbook, provide further
practice identifying correct subject/verb agreement.
Look at a sample of a telephone message form (Hand
out C) and compare to a memo form.
Have all students work in pairs to create telephone
conversations in which they call and leave a message for someone else in a
business setting. The message taker must complete a telephone memo to be given
to her/his boss. It must be brief, clear and legible!
After students have created their phone dialogues and
practiced in their pairs, mix the pairs and ask two students (not from the
original pairs) to come to the front of the room, sit back to back (so they
cannot look at each other) and perform their dialogues. The rest of the class
must try to get the necessary information to write a clear telephone message by
listening to the performances. *
Ask
students to share their written memos, edit as a group.
*
These messages can be taped for students to practice again in Week 6, Day 3.
A variation of this activity is to record messages on
an answering machine or tape recorder, have students listen to the recorded
messages, and then write a telephone message memo to their boss.
Reflection
by Teacher:
Are students able to write clear and concise memos?
Are they able to identify and check for correct subject/verb agreements? Did
they actively participate in the listening and writing exercises?
Planning
for Next Lesson:
Students can further practice this lesson by giving
clear and concise instructions while in the classroom, following multi-step
directions, and dictation exercises. Look for future opportunities to practice
oral and written communication skills.