Workplace Environment

What if Locust trace students became the most employable students?

Community members are identifying a lack of essential skills in employees coming out of high school. Not all students are being taught the importance of professional communication, time management, and respectful team work.

literature review

Research Methods

findings

While employers indicated that recent high school graduates often lack certain soft skills, students assessed themselves quite highly. Based on the collected data, 51% of surveyed students believed they are above average in terms of employability. When assessing students' self-rated confidence in their ability to write professional emails, 29% of students considered themselves to have a moderate level of confidence.

revised theory of action

After experiencing unpredictable weather conditions in January, I understand the importance of implementing this plan from the very beginning. This approach will facilitate a smooth workflow and help establish clear expectations for the classroom from the outset. In February, I learned that I would be transferred to Mary E. Britton Middle School. With this knowledge, I have begun to revise my overall strategy while maintaining the same ultimate goal. Although my revisions are still in progress, I am confident that I can adapt this high school-level plan to suit a middle school setting. Some current initiatives that will continue to be implemented include beginning the year with each class establishing their own set of classroom expectations. This approach aims to encourage students to take greater ownership of their learning. I will utilize the same lesson format I used with my high school students, starting with providing examples of these skills. Students will be given the same framework, with relevant examples incorporated. A new idea that I believe will be better received in middle school rather than high school is the implementation of classroom jobs. These would be easier to manage given the structure of the middle school class schedule. Implementing classroom jobs at the high school level may be more challenging due to the schedule and the perception that such roles are more suitable for younger students.

Students drew upon their prior knowledge to identify qualities that contribute to employability. They contributed their ideas to a collaborative board before the lesson began, creating a supportive environment that encouraged open sharing and discussion.

Students collaborated as a group to develop visual representations of the class expectations. This approach fostered a sense of ownership among the students in each classroom. By involving students in establishing the expectations, they become more committed to upholding them. The students used the Employability Framework to guide the creation of the four core expectations.

Data from the project

Example of Student email at the start

Students were instructed to send a peer a professional email about what they learned from a video. They were told to use a professional format, but were not given any other parameters.

Example of student email at the end

Students were instructed to send an email reflecting on what they learned this year at Locust Trace. The students demonstrated significant growth from their initial email to their final submission. This followed numerous class sessions focused on email setup and incorporating student feedback.

conlcusion & next steps

Due to observed growth, although not reaching the anticipated 50% increase in students' ability to write professional emails, I am confident that integrating soft skills is an effective approach for student development in this area. My next step is to adapt this concept to suit a middle school setting. I plan to collaborate with other middle school teachers to ensure my expectations are realistic. While I do not want to underprepare my students, I aim to set them on a path toward success in high school and beyond. By establishing a strong foundation in the classroom, they can become productive members of the workforce.

Preparing the next generation to truly thrive in the workforce, with passion and dedication.

Year 3 of teaching, the nerves were overwhelming, but a deep and passionate excitement pushed them aside. I knew I was determined to grow professionally, eager to seize every opportunity that came my way. My only challenge was not knowing where to begin. To my heartfelt surprise, I didn’t have to search far—an email arrived that would ignite a journey I hadn’t yet fully dared to imagine myself taking. I realized that letting this chance slip away would mean losing sight of my true purpose and core intentions for this year. Once I understood the mission of CTEPS, a spark of clarity ignited within me. At that moment, I knew there was an idea I desperately wanted to pursue. A simple yet profound statement from an industry professional—“High school graduates lack the essential soft skills to do well in the workforce”—became the foundation of my entire vision.

Around two months into the school year, the powerful words spoken by the industry professional began to resonate more and more deeply. I started to see, with growing concern, how many of my students struggle with essential skills—their communication, their time management, and so many others that are crucial in the workplace. I began to truly wonder why so many students are missing these essential foundational skills—skills that could genuinely help them stand firm and secure a solid job right out of high school. This curiosity deepened within me, leading me to realize that, sadly, they simply haven't been taught. With the tremendous amount of content teachers are responsible for covering in just 180 days, these vital soft skills often get overlooked, left behind in the rush of a normal classroom.

I began to brainstorm with the important people in my life, fueling a deep desire to find a way to truly prioritize soft skills in my classroom. After countless conversations and reflections, I finally arrived at an idea I was passionate about bringing into fruition. Yet, before I could begin the implementation, I felt a pressing need to confirm that this challenge I had identified was not only significant but also a widespread problem. Through my research, I discovered that this issue was far from isolated—it was shared by many, igniting a renewed sense of urgency and purpose within me. One of the greatest obstacles I faced in trying to bring this idea to life was the weather. The unforgiving conditions of January 2025 relentlessly hindered my progress, causing the entire plan to be delayed again and again, and making me feel the weight of every setback. I knew this project was truly important, and I felt a deep urge to persevere through the challenges and setbacks, refusing to give up no matter how tough it got.

Currently, the project is still in the process of being fully rolled out within the classroom, and I am eager to refine it as I begin the new school year. Despite that, I genuinely believe that, for its first semester of implementation, it has gone remarkably smoothly. As the project progresses, I envision creating systems that truly mirror a real work environment, capturing its essence and vitality. Eventually, I truly hope to establish partnerships with community members that will give students the extraordinary opportunity to hear directly from "real world" experts in their chosen fields. This project is something I deeply believe in, and it will require ongoing support and dedication from the administration to truly make a lasting impact. By continuing this project, I genuinely believe it will shape students into capable and confident individuals who are truly prepared to thrive in the workforce.

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