OLD MATERIAL
Teaching circle-Alan Beam Facilitating. (Book Study 2020-21)
Rules for discussion:
We will start at 3:15 p.m.
Everyone needs to contribute
Don't interrupt or monopolize the discussion
Stay on point - focus on the book
Come prepared
Discussion Questions:
Chapter 1
1. What is the 1:2:7 ratio? (pg 17)
2. Define College and Career Readiness? (pg 19)
3. The author states that many young people, college has become little more than an expensive career exploration program. Thoughts (pg 25)
Chapter 2
1. Define Generational Rifts? (pg 33)
2. Why does the author call Generation Y & Z the “Why Generation”? (pg 34)
3. The author states that older and younger generations approach their work differently, with older folks who often “live to work” and younger people who usually work to live”. How can this knowledge help instructors work with today’s students? (pg 40)
4. The author talks about the importance of lifestyle in today’s students and how any career decision is impacted by lifestyle. Again, how can this knowledge help an instructor reach today’s students? (Pg 41)
Chapter 3
1. Do you agree with the author that young people “Expect far less from themselves than they are truly capable of achieving? (pg 49)
2. Why does this generation prefer group interaction over one-on-one situations? How can this knowledge help an instructor? (pg 49)
3. “Admission question” How does Washburn Tech use social media to reach students? “Instructor question” How are you using social media in your classroom? (Pg 50)
4. What are some of the factors behind the perceived “entitled” mindset of the younger generation? (Pg 51)
5. The author states that it’s not just salary that drives today’s students when they are choosing a workplace. What is the younger generation looking for according to the author and how can that knowledge help us motivate our students? (Pg 54)
Chapter 4
1. What are some of the reasons that young people may not hear the branch creak? (pg. 67)
Have you heard the branch creak before? If so, when and what did you do about it?
What can you or your organization do differently so that the younger generations hear the branch creak and make their success more sustainable?
2. The Why Generation has been raised for achievement. How has this affected them? (pg. 68)
How can you or your organization inspire young people when there may not be an urgency or “want-to” within themselves?
3. What happens in a young person when self-reliance and independence are not taught? (pg. 71)
What lessons can you or your organization draw from the example of the mother and father robins?
4. How can the Light at the End of the Tunnel be ignited for young people whose parents, far from being helicopter parents, were unengaged, passive, or even abusive? (pg. 74)
What will you or your organization do or implement to inspire, motivate, and guide young people from less advantaged backgrounds to find their Light at the End of the Tunnel? \
5. When do self-reliance and independence become challenging for the younger generations? (pg. 77)
What practices can you or your organization put into place to help the younger generations build these
Chapter 6
Chapter 5
Untitled
1. Explain the Light at the End of the Tunnel concept. (pg. 85)
Explain what you or your organization does to build motivation when things get tough and the light seems dim.
2. How did the author motivate his sons to take more ownership of their lives and performance? (pg. 86)
How do you or your organization encourage the younger generations to take ownership of their performance?
3. What questions can be used to begin simple chats with the younger generations about finding their own Light at the End of the Tunnel to become self-reliant and independent? (pg. 89)
What strategies do you or your organization use to plant seeds for the Why Generation?
4. “When the “want-to” is strong enough, the “how-to” will come.” What does a person need to do to make almost anything possible? (pg. 94)
How can you use the “want-to, how-to” concept with the young people in your life or in your organization?
5. How does the author explain to the Why Generation how to build their own dream instead of building someone else’s? (pg. 103)
Whose dream or dreams are you and your organization building? Does anything need to be altered?
Chapter 6
1. Why do many young people today not know what they want to do with their lives? (pg. 108)
Did you or anyone in your organization ever have a period in life when the “want-to” wasn’t present? How did it change?
2. What is the Awareness Gap and who experiences it? (pg. 109)
How can you or your organization help the Why Generation and their parents to bridge the Awareness Gap?
3. Explain the important reasons why the education paradigm in this country needs to change so that students move toward true career readiness rather than exclusively college readiness. (pg. 110)
How can you or your organization help change the paradigm of college being used as a career exploration tool?
4. What are the three levels of the Career Tree and what do these levels illustrate? (pg. 114)
Have you or your organization ever explained these career levels in as much depth as the Career Tree does?
5. How does the Career Tree help young people discover the endless possibilities that connect with their interests, talents, and abilities so they can invest wisely in their career and lifestyle choices? (pg. 117)
How does opening a dialogue earlier in life about many potential destinations increase the likelihood of a young person becoming passionate about reaching one of those destinations?
6. The author lists a large number of viable career opportunities in various fields. (pg. 121)
How many viable career opportunities does your organization prepare students, trainees, and employees for?
7. The Career Tree plays a critical role in helping organizations create a planning culture. What is a planning culture and why is it so crucial for not only the younger generations but for the entire organization? (pg. 133)
What steps can you or your organization take to promote a planning culture in your environment?
Chapter 7
1. What is the “single most important competitive advantage in today’s new economy”? Why? (pg. 139)
Do you or your organization support the acquisition of both academic knowledge and technical skills?
2. Timing is critical to effective career exploration. Discuss the pros of early career exploration and self-discovery. (pg. 141)
What can you or your organization do to ensure that the younger generations are aware of all the growth opportunities in your field?
3. What are the four Roots that make up the Career Tree Root System and why are they important for everyone’s educational and career pathway? (pg. 143)
How can you or your organization integrate the four Roots into your existing plans to help formulate a viable, detailed plan for all futures?
4. Exceptional performance happens when people dive deeply into the Root System. What are the most crucial questions that need to be asked of one’s self in order to build a competitive advantage? (pg. 154)
How can you or your organization utilize the questions on pages 154 and 155 to build a dynamic competitive advantage for the people that you work with?
5. The Career Tree allowed students to become more aware of all the career choices and opportunities in the field of electricity. How did the Career Tree help change the perception of the electrical teacher’s career? (pg. 156)
Do you or your organization have any Awareness Gaps in your own field or career?
6. Why is it so important that young people’s educational and career pathways be self-motivated and self-directed? (pg. 159)
How can you or your organization make sure that the people that you are associated with take ownership of their own motivation and vision while emphasizing your organization’s goals?
Chapter 8
1. What is contextual learning and what makes it so effective? (pg. 165)
What would it take for you or your organization to implement contextual learning in your environment on a regular basis?
2. What is the Education with Purpose® philosophy? How does it provide direction to the learning process and tie into the planning culture? (pg. 167)
How can you or your organization ignite the fire of ambition in young people so that your culture creates a competitive advantage and maximizes your outcomes?
3. For employers, how does Education with Purpose translate to Employment with Passion? (pg. 170)
What can you or your organization do to better nurture young people earlier in their educational and career journeys?
4. What does the Why Generation gain by asking themselves: What’s In It For Me? (WIIFM) (pg. 175)
What can you or your organization do to implement the WIIFM question on a daily basis to further motivate the Why Generation?
Chapter 9
1. “The young people of the Why Generation want lots of challenges.” What resources do they need to meet those challenges? (pg. 182)
How can you or your organization provide the meaningful reasons and clear roadmap for the younger generations to invest their time and energy to complete the tasks that you desire?
2. Social media has changed everything. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages that technology and social media have created for both older and younger generations? (pg. 184)
How do you or your organization utilize technology/social media to connect all generations?
3. “In many cases, it seems that the young people of the Why Generation have extremely high expectations of everything in their lives except themselves.” Explain what key element is missing for those that don’t have high expectations of themselves. (pg. 187)
How can you or your organization work to make self-esteem, self-worth, and self-respect a priority in your environment alongside high expectations of one’s self?
4. How does respect work today? (pg. 188)
Do you or your organization accept the fact that respect isn’t assumed anymore and both sides need to earn it? If not, what do you or your organization need to change to accept this?
Which Career Tree best practices can you or your organization implement or adapt?
Chapter 10 - The Wade Factor
Who is Wade and what qualities set him apart from so many others?
How do you or your organization cultivate Wades in your own atmosphere?
What major positive effects did Wade have on those around him?
Are you or your organization able to have a positive effect on those you interact with on a daily basis? If not, what needs to change?
3. Why did Wade choose to go beyond expectations and make a difference for the people on his bus?
How can you or your organization become more like this Wade and exceed expectations on a daily basis?
4. Who was April and why was she the “anti-Wade”?
Are you or your organization ever a reflection of April? If so, what needs to change?
5. April was technically proficient at her job, but that wasn’t enough to create a positive customer experience. Why are warmth and genuineness just as important as technical proficiency?
Are you or your organization fully present, engaged, and using your people skills to the fullest degree even in trivial tasks each day?
6. What characteristics are visible in Wade but not in April? Is this simply just a choice?
On what end of the Wade-April spectrum do you or your organization tend to be?
7. What can happen if we just make the decision to go when the branch creaks?
In what ways has this book creaked your own branch and the branch of your organization?