Intended for adults with special needs, but appropriate for upper graders as well, this activity encourages appropriate interpersonal communication. They practice responding to various situations in a role play setting. The lesson plan...

High schoolers, who may soon be entering the workplace, read and discuss a case study in which a business service representative has an unpleasant confrontation with a customer that results in a lost sale. Groups review three questions...

What makes a great networker? Learners explore valuable life skills and interpersonal character traits, and consider how to present oneself in the most effective way during an opportunity to network. 

Being self-aware of personal wants, needs, and values is a big part of growing up. Here, you'll find seven different teaching options and two different introductions to a lesson on getting learners to think about their personal values....

In this word search learning exercise, students search for terms related to interpersonal communication and interviewing for jobs. Terms include body language and job interview terms.

Students examine vocabulary words pertaining to the physical and personal characteristics of self, family, and others. They pronounce the vocabulary words and determine comparative adjectives for the words that are polite. They write...

Vocational training activities are extremely important for learners with intellectual or physical disabilities. Here is a great idea that will help your class become skilled at money handling, basic economic concepts, interpersonal...

Students work in teams, participate in the "Lifeboat Game." Discussion following the game helps students process the activity to realize teamwork skills they used to facilitate meeting their game goal. Students identify and relate the...

Middle schoolers discuss the characteristics of a quality relationship and determine how such a relationship is maintained. After reading a scenario of a relationship, students take one character at a time and place themselves in the...

Sometimes the interview process includes negotiating for what you want. Here's an activity that guides job seekers to achieve The Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA). Participants take on the role of job seekers and...

An important part of the job search process is the personal interview. Help pupils prepare with speed interviewing activity—teams of three-act as a job seeker, interviewer, and observer. Every three minutes, participants rotate roles and...

Resumes are key to the job search process. Class members examine sample job postings and critique sample resumes to understand how to craft a strong resume.

After completing an evaluation worksheet that asks learners to rate their skills honestly, individuals create an action plan that includes specific steps to improve in these areas.

For many high schoolers, what they want to be when they grow up can be very intimidating. Here's an activity that gets them thinking about their interests and how they might connect these interests to future jobs. After watching a short...

To gain an understanding of the importance of professional references, class members engage in two projects. First, individuals examine an online review site (Yelp, for example), paying particular attention to the positive and negative...

Professional or unprofessional? That is the question addressed by a lesson on workplace attire. Class members examine images posted on job search sites like Linkedin and those posted by celebrities. They consider the implications of...

Being able to get along with a variety of personalities in the workplace is a key job skill. To gain insight into the importance of this skill, class members take on roles of various personality types and work in groups to try to build a...

An activity that focuses on workplace ethical dilemmas asks groups how to respond to a series of scenarios. First, the class brainstorms a list of ethics that apply to employers, then a second one that applies to employees. Using their...

A short video demonstrates the importance of non-verbal communication in the forming of first impressions. Viewers observe the facial expressions, tone of voice, body language, and appearance of job seekers in an interview, then discuss...

An important step in the job search process is sending a thank you note to any professional that has been of help. First, pupils discuss the etiquette of thank you notes, then draft a practice letter.

Attention spans are short, but memories are long. Job seekers are challenged to develop a 30-second commercial that highlights their strengths in a job interview.

Here is an academic presentation intended for those teaching small groups or engaging in human management. It defines personality types and traits in terms of personal background factors, then uses concrete theory and research to provide...

There are so many ways to be smart! Can your class identify their intelligences? The third of five career and college lesson plans designed for sixth graders challenges them to assess their unique skills. Once they determine their...

Learners develop self-awareness and discuss the importance of cooperation and communication through worksheets and hands-on, collaborative activities.