My Job or Career Goal and My Strengths

Write "JOBS" or "CAREERS" in the center of the whiteboard.
Ask students to call out different jobs they know. Write them around the central word, creating a mind map.
Point to a few jobs and ask: "What does a [doctor/teacher/engineer] do?" Elicit simple descriptions.
Review any relevant vocabulary from previous lessons related to work or personality. For example: "What words can we use to describe a good teacher?" (e.g., patient, kind, knowledgeable).

Today, we're going to talk about career goals – what jobs you want to do in the future, or what jobs you are doing now. We'll also learn some new words to describe your personal strengths – the good qualities you have that help you succeed in a job."
"We will then  create a 'word cloud' about your career goals and strengths. It's a fun way to visualize your ideas!"

Ask students: "What is a 'goal'?" (Elicit ideas: something you want to achieve, a dream for the future).
Explain "career goal": "A career goal is the job or type of work you want to do in the future."
Give an example: "My career goal when I was younger was to be a teacher."
Ask a few students to share a career goal if they feel comfortable.
Introduce "Personal Strengths" (Soft Skills):"To be good at a job, you need skills. Some skills are technical, like knowing how to use a computer. Other skills are about your personality – these are often called 'soft skills' or 'personal strengths'."
"For example, if you work well with other people, you are 'cooperative' or a 'team player'. This is a personal strength." 

1. Distribute the handout of 12 Personal strengths

2. Review each strength. Ask students to think of a job where that strength is important

Divide the students into small groups. Distribute the handout SS or TS (soft skill or technical skill). Have the students decide if each skill is a soft skill or a technical skill.

Next have them circle the skills they feel like reflect themselves.

Explain the task: "Now, you will make a list of words that describe you and your career interests. This list will be used to create your  word cloud."

Instruct students what to include in their lists (write these on the board):Your First and Last Name (e.g., Maria Rodriguez)
Your Current Job (if employed) (e.g., Cashier, Student) OR a Past Job.

Your Career Goal (e.g., Nurse, Business Owner, Engineer). If retired or not planning to work, they can choose a job of a family member or friend, or a dream job.

5-10 Personal Strengths (from the list discussed, or others they know) that are important for their current job/career goal.

Emphasize choosing words that truly describe them or are relevant to their chosen career.

"Think about which strengths are most important for your goal. You can write a word more than once if you want it to be bigger in your word cloud, but also has ways to emphasize words." (This is an advanced tip, might be optional).

If computers are available, students can type their lists in a word processing program (e.g., Microsoft Word, Google Docs). This makes it easier to copy and paste later. If not, they can write them neatly on paper.

Circulate and Assist: While students create their lists, walk around the room, help with vocabulary, spelling, and content ideas. Provide feedback. "That's a great strength for a teacher! How do you spell 'patient'?" "What are some good qualities for a [student's career goal]?"

Distribute the step by step handout on how to create a wordcloud on http://freewordgenerator.com. Walk students through the steps by modeling. They can do this on a computer or their phones.

Have students post share their wordclouds by having a gallery walk

You could also have students present their word clouds to the class.

Have students write a short paragraph or make a short video about their soft skills and their technical skills.