When it comes to preparing our students for their future, the opportunity to experience learning through a career lens ensures that students have a preview of the work world and the skills they’ll need for success in their chosen profession.
This future-forward focus is on display daily in our seven College and Career Academy high schools as well as in career and technical education (CTE) courses around the district. National Job Shadow Week is one way our teachers can get first-hand knowledge and hands-on experiences related to career options, real-world applications, and industry expectations.
Celebrated in February, National Job Shadowing Week took 82 GCPS teachers in CTE and core academic courses into the community to learn about different jobs, workplace trends, skill requirements for their students, and opportunities in industries related to their subject. In the day-long “externships,” theory met hands-on practice as the teachers learned how their classroom lessons apply in the workplace. Depending on their area of study, participants spent the day shadowing CEOs and medical professionals, creative types and public safety workers, engineers and digital media specialists. The 20 community partners offered perspectives on a broad spectrum of businesses and organizations… from medical fields and manufacturing to community support services and coffee.
“Industries grow and change at a rapid rate and often times much faster than public education can adapt,” says Dr. Kyle Jones, a coordinator in GCPS’ Academies and Career and Technical Education Department. “Teacher job shadow opportunities, or externships, allow teachers to see, inquire into, and incorporate in their own practice an industry’s methods of operation, labor market information, and the employment skills needed to meet industry needs.”
He points out that when teachers can connect theory and workplace practice, then learning in their classrooms becomes more relevant. Participating teachers echo that sentiment.
Mitzi Glasgow, who teaches business courses at Mountain View HS, says that solving problems is a huge part of day-to-day tasks at Novelis, the business she toured. “Everyone we met with mentioned it specifically,” she says. “This has me mindful to build in more problem-solving within my lessons— not giving all the details in order to allow for flexibility, critical thinking, and problem-solving.” Ms. Glasgow says she returned to her classroom ready to answer “How do I…” questions with “What do you think would work?” or “How would you go about solving that problem?” She explains, “It's a small step, but a vital piece to giving students autonomy in their work.”
Dr. Jones says that when teachers bring what they learn from their job shadow experience back to their classroom, students are exposed to employability skills and practices that are essential to their future. For instance, a marketing teacher visiting a marketing firm for a day might come back to his or her classroom equipped with authentic experience in the ways a marketing firm collects data or develops and implements a project, then have students model that same approach.
Teachers also build potential relationships with these companies, and those relationships can lead to real benefits for students. Yancey Miller, a Peachtree Ridge HS chemistry teacher, spent the day at Gwinnett Water Resources (GWR). Her experience yielded contacts with engineers who have volunteered to speak to her classes and the school’s Society of Women Engineers NEXT club. And she’s eager to explore the possibility of mentorship, student job shadowing experiences, even job opportunities for her students, some jobs right out of high school, noting that “employees can receive on-the-job training through GWR to quickly advance.”
Yvette Beersingh, a biology teacher at Discovery HS who visited German technology company Heraeus , came away from her job shadow experience with a technique that she now uses in her classroom to promote team building, problem-solving, and reflection skills. And Emma Wilson, a CTE teacher at Duluth HS, says her visit to Regions Bank gave her a full picture of the careers in the banking industry as well as credit-building tips that she can incorporate into personal finance lessons for her students in Financial Services courses.
Barbara Jackson, a business teacher at Parkview HS, visited AT&T Business Operations, and was “curious to see how Corporate America had changed” since her own days in the business world. Technology, far-flung teams that work as a virtual unit, and telecommuting were among the changes she noticed. “Our students are lucky to have CTE. We are teaching and preparing our students for the jobs of today and tomorrow,” she says.
Lessons learned “on the job” and carried back to the classroom will continue to help prepare our students for their future careers.
We thank out participating community partners!
AT&T
Atlanta Institute of Music & Media
Digital Scientists
GCPS Distance Learning
Gwinnett County Solicitor Office
Gwinnett Emergency Services
Gwinnett Fire & Rescue
Gwinnett Planning & Development
Gwinnett Police
Gwinnett Water Resources
H3 Media
Heraeus
Luckie & Co.
Mighty 8th Media
Northside Hospital Gwinnett
Novelis
Phoenix Coffee Roasters
Regions Bank
Rock Paper Scissors
Water Innovation Center
In these photos, follow along with some of our teachers as they explore the workplace during National Job Shadowing Week activities.