Preparing Teenagers for the Real World

“Our business in life is not to get ahead of others, but to get ahead of ourselves; to break our own records, to outdo our yesterday by our today.”

-Stewart B. Johnson, British artist

 

During this unit, we will be reading Teenagers Preparing for the Real World, an autobiographical text written by Chad Foster, the course's author.  This text contains various short stories recounting moments in Mr. Foster's life that paved the way for his success today.  Students will be required to make connections to their own lives and analyze how these connections will affect their eventual success.

 

Additionally, this unit will require students to go out and interview a successful adult from an unusual field.  An unusual field is simply a field they would not be interested in pursuing.  For example, a student interested in being a mechanic, carpenter, or diesel technician may find the jobs of nurse or lawyer to be unusual.  This interview will be prepared, conducted, and critiqued both in and out of the classroom with a brief oral presentation on the second to last day of the unit.

 

By the end of this fifteen-to-twenty day unit, you should be able to answer the following essential questions completely and confidently...

 

 What does it mean to be successful in life after high school?

What are the common denominators of successful people?

How will you decide which career is best for you?

How would you describe a successful person during a conversation?

What questions are appropriate to ask of a working adult about his/her job?

What are some ways you can become comfortable talking with people you do not know?

How does the following phrase relate to you? You only learn when you listen.  You learn nothing when you talk.

How can you handle a situation where you are uncomfortable?

What are three things a thank you note should include besides the words 'thank you?'

What would you do if you woke up fifteen years from now and you wanted to start life from day one?

How will you include all eleven steps of 'the bottom line' in your life?

 

Chapter Handouts and Other Materials