Psychological Corollary

A person can succeed even on difficult tasks if he or she understands what to do and how to do it and is ready to make an effort.

Lesson Objective

Students will be able to determine that they could succeed in reaching a goal if they know what the task is and how it must be done, and if they are ready to make the necessary effort. For example, students will evaluate the difficulty of tasks performed by people who work in fast-food restaurants to determine whether they can succeed in such work.

Social Behaviors

This lesson shows students that successful people:

Social Vocabulary

• Directions

Other Vocabulary

• counselor dumpsters
• customers sponge
• garbage remember

Suggested Lesson Plans

Introduction

• Give students a list of occupations, some of which require special skills (e.g., auto mechanic, sales clerk, waiter, secretary, fruit picker).
• Using the above list, each student should identify the job he or she would personally find most difficult. Point out that:
• Not all students selected the same job as being most difficult (we all have varying strengths and weaknesses).
• Even though a job may look hard, a person still has a chance to succeed.
• Introduce vocabulary.

Group Use of Student Workbook

• Have students read the first page of this lesson aloud.
• After they read each paragraph, ask students to identify the general advice Mrs. Washington is giving to Ted; record the list on the board. For example:
• Talk to someone who already works where you want to work.
• Ask this person to describe exactly what he/she does.
• Ask this person to describe how to do each task.
• Ask how difficult it is to do each task well.
• If appropriate, spend time watching people doing this job.
• Do not bother friends while they're on the job.
• Decide if you could do the job well; if it's difficult, you'll have to be ready to put in a lot of effort.
• Decide if you still want the job.
• Have students complete the second page of this lesson independently.
• After they complete the second page, ask how many students think they would like to work at a fast-food restaurant; ask students to explain their answers.

Follow - Up

• Have the class select one job with which all students are familiar (e.g., garbage collector, dishwasher, or taxi driver). NOTE: The job should be a realistic career goal for at least some students in the class.
• Using the occupation identified above, have the class identify the following:
• Tasks the job requires workers to perform
• How each task is done
• The difficulty of each task
• Using the information from above, ask each student to decide:
• Whether he or she could do the job well
• How much effort would be required to do the job well
• Whether he or she would like the job

Behavior Development Activity

To encourage students to understand and accept their strengths and weaknesses and explain their problems:

1. Divide the class into pairs.
2. Give one student in each pair a card that lists one of the following limitations:
• Pretend you are weak in math.
• Pretend you have a poor memory.
• Pretend you get confused when you have to do more than one thing at the same time.
• Pretend you have trouble reading.

3. Tell students who have cards that they are job applicants at
4. Fast Freddie's; the other student in each pair is "Freddie." Applicants must convince Freddie that they can "workaround," or compensate for, their limitations.
5. Tell the Freddies to ask these questions as they interview applicants for jobs in the restaurant:
• Have you ever had a job before?
• If you had a job before, what kind of work did you do?
• Why do you want to work for me?
• What parts of this job could you do well?
• Are there parts of this job with which you might have trouble?
• What could you do to make up for your limitations?
• What are two reasons I should hire you?
6. Post the following list of interview tips (or reproduce it on a handout); tell students you will repeat job interviews with Freddie tomorrow and that students will be evaluated according to these tips
1. Write down the date and time of your interview so you won't forget it.
2. Arrive a few minutes early--never late.
3. Bring a pen and all the information you may need for the job application, such as your social security card.
4. Don't bring any friends along.
5. Don't smoke, even if interviewer does. Also, don't chew gum.
6. Be clean and neatly dressed. Brush your teeth. Do not wear unusual clothes, too much makeup, or jewelry.
7. Be excited about the job
8. Be ready to explain why you want the job.
9. Listen very carefully to the person who is interviewing you.
10. Ask questions when you don't understand something.
11. Ask for a description of your tasks and responsibilities.
12. Be ready to explain what you can do well.
13. Be ready to explain which tasks might be difficult for you.
14. Thank the person for giving you time. Shake hands and say goodbye. Don't hang around after the interview.
15. Write a thank you note to the person who interviewed you.

• After interviews are repeated the following day, have students reverse roles so that both students are interviewed.
• Ask students to share ways they explained their limitations; discuss which ways were most acceptable to employers.

Review

• Ask students to list at least four interview tips. (See list in this lesson's Behavior Development Activity.)
• Ask students to identify ways people can explain problems or limitations to prospective employers (e.g., be open about the problem and suggest ways you can compensate for it).

Homework (Optional)

• Ask each student to select a job he or she might be able to obtain within the next few months (i.e., with no further training).
• Have students answer these questions about the above job (students' answers can be recorded in writing or on video):
• What parts of the job would you like most?
• What parts of the job would be easy for you?
• What parts of the job would be difficult for you?
• Could you do this job well if you tried very hard?
• Do you really want this job?
• If you want this job, are you ready to work hard enough to do it well?
• What is the first step you should take to get this job?