Since Career Education is part of the Expanded Core Curriculum, I am always looking for new things to do as we explore careers. I recently found this little gem online: Career Development Activity: FUTURE OCCUPATION BIO-POEM. Bio-poems are a quick and fun writing activity that can help to jump-start the writing process.
The format for the occupational bio-poem is as follows:
- Line 1 – Write your first name
- Line 2 – Write your favorite occupation
- Line 3 – Who can [Write something important you will do in this occupation]
- Line 4 – Who earns [Write the median salary for this occupation]
- Line 5 – Who knows how to [Write knowledge necessary for this occupation]
- Line 6 – Who values [Write the work value(s) related to the occupation]
- Line 7 – Write your last name
What I love about it is that it includes research, writing, creativity and career exploration! It helps focus the dream of the future on the possibilities. There are only the positives…a big win for me and for my students!
His poem says:
Gabriel
A fiction author
Who can write silly stories
Who earns $59,000 a year
Who knows how to use creativity in their writing
Who values a working brailler and an editor
Flores
We have it hanging in the hallway outside the braille room door. While the student is in the 4th grade, I believe it’s never too early to start looking to our future. Langston Hughes writes in his poem “Dreams”:
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
I want to teach my students to dream, so they can fly over fields on the wings of hope and make their dreams reality!
