Job Shadowing in Murray
New School To Careers Resources
For more than a hundred eighth graders at Murray Middle School, last Friday was not just another day at school. It was a day at work. By 9 a.m., they were all over Murray, in doctor's offices and restaurants, beauty salons and auto repair garages, factories and flower shops.
But it was still school, and, to their delight, they got a grade: A's went to everyone who followed the rules and turned in an evaluation of the day's events.
Educators call it job shadowing. The student is paired with an adult who holds a job that interests that student. The assignment is simply to observe and to ask questions, though it often happens that the adult in charge provides some way for them to make a meaningful contribution.
It's a major problem of logistics to match that many students with willing adults to shadow. Students were encouraged to set up their own job shadows-everything from selecting a profession to contacting someone in the field to making arrangements for the day. Some students were able to spend the day in occupations where they had a personal interest.
"This is a opportunity for them to learn more about what's out there, and how they have to prepare." said Tina Richey, the eighth grade teacher in charge of career education for the eighth grade. ""Of course, our goal is for them to make connections between what happens at school and what happens in the workplace, And we hope that along the way, they'lll develop more respect for classroom learning and be more motivated to do well."
Job shadowing is the highlight of a school year punctuated with school-to-work activities. Every Friday, for six months, Richey has invited someone from the working world to meet with the eighth graders just to talk about what they do for a living.
They've heard from army sergeant Brad Conatser, chiropractor Dennis Heskett, pathologist Dewey Dean, accountant Michael Pierce, labor and delivery nurse Cheryl Ward, They've heard from landscapers, lawyers, even their own school administrators, Tawnya Hunter stepped in to explain the job of an assistant vice-prinicipal when a doctor had an emergency call and couldn't make his appointment at school.
Every eighth grader agreed the job shadowing experience was valuable-- even though it may have been a little disillusioning for some.
"I never want to have a job like the one I shadowed," said one student. "I just sat around all day. I'd rather go to school."
What other students discovered was often surprising -and gratifying to their teachers.
As for next year's program, the students had some advice for the rising eighth graders. Take it seriously. Plan ahead. Figure out what you want to do, and then make it happen. Be open to opportunities.
You just might discover your passion, your life's goal!
Shadowing a florist arranger...
Shadowing an auto mechanic...
Shadowing a fitness trainer...
