The Texas Education Agency (TEA) and experienced career and technical education (CTE) teacher-coordinators recommend building these six student activities into your WBL lesson plans.

Take a moment to review the checklist shown here. Each of these activities will be explained in more detail in this lesson.

Conduct activities to help students navigate the college selection and application process. Include activities such as

• preparing for and taking college entrance exams;
• researching and selecting colleges;
• understanding and estimating the costs;
• completing and submitting college applications;
• completing financial aid forms (e.g., FAFSA); and
• researching and applying for scholarships.

Career preparation instructors often collaborate with school counselors for ideas and resources. Practicum instructors may want to include similar activities, depending on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) specific to that course.

Include researching professional licensure and certification requirements for a chosen career or current job as part of each student’s career research activities.

Click each topic for additional information.

Research shows that having meaningful goals is a key motivator to personal and professional success. Work-based learning provides an excellent opportunity for teachers to help students develop the habit of setting goals and creating realistic plans to achieve them. An important goal setting activity is to have students develop a personal career road map for their career path beyond high school.

View the S.M.A.R.T. Goals video below for some recommended practices.

Many students enrolled in Career Preparation I or paid practicum courses will receive their first real paycheck as part of their WBL experience. Once again, the teacher is in a position to guide students in obtaining critical life skills. Learning to manage money takes more than a one-hour presentation. It is a skill that is better taught through applied learning over time. Many Texas high schools offer financial literacy courses. Paid WBL experiences can help students connect what they learn to real life.

For some students, getting their first paycheck is an eye-opening experience. The U.S. Federal Reserve offers curriculum for educating students about personal finances. It's Your Paycheck! can be adapted for use in WBL classrooms. Lesson 2 introduces students to paychecks, W-4, and W-2 forms.

Another eye-opening activity to help students plan for life beyond high school is Texas RealityCheck, an online tool developed by the Labor Market and Career Information (LMCI) division of the Texas Workforce Commission. Texas RealityCheck helps the user calculate how much they need to earn to cover their monthly living expenses and other "stuff."

At the beginning of most WBL experiences, students develop resumes as part of their job search.

Teach students the importance of career portfolios and how to create one. By the end of the course, students should have a complete and up-to-date career portfolio to use in future job searches after high school.

Armed with an updated career portfolio and ready for graduation, students are ready to begin searching for employment beyond a WBL experience.

Create activities that include preparing for and attending career fairs on campus and community job fairs in your region. Provide contact information for the local chamber of commerce, workforce development board, and Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs). Encourage students to research the various opportunities and then update their career roadmap with specific goals for the fairs.

Many school districts host career fairs on campus to enable students to explore a variety of career options. Campus career fairs provide a good place for students to talk with representatives from various businesses and industries in a fun, non-threatening environment.

Participating in a community job fair is one way students can test their interviewing and presentation skills on a wide-range of prospective employers. Community job and career fairs are often sponsored by local chambers of commerce, industry groups, or workforce development boards. Attending a job fair may seem more intimidating to students because they feel they are competing with older more experienced adults. However, this is where career preparation and practicum students actually have an advantage for entry level positions. Many of the other individuals do not have the knowledge and skills gained from an authentic WBL experience.

These materials are provided as a convenience to give new teachers a starting place upon which to build their own lesson plans.

The classroom activities and lesson plans are examples of what other teachers have used in their WBL programs. They are provided as a convenience to give new teachers a starting place upon which to build their own lesson plans.