why consider career-connected literacy instruction?
From relevance to clarity of purpose, career-connected literacy opens doors for our students.
There’s simply nothing better than the glow in a student’s eyes when they are 100% in–excited, bursting to tell you about what they’ve discovered. This is what brings teachers back to the classroom year after year.
That look is often the result of a student learning something of personal value. It’s a look of appreciation, of possibility, and of eagerness to continue that comes when students experience learning that clarifies and strengthens their sense of agency, identity or purpose.
As English teachers, many of us have seen that look when a moment resonates for a student. In our discipline, we have many opportunities to connect richly with kids. Through creative writing, shared analysis of rich poetry, literature or media, and impassioned debate regarding issues of the day, we examine and explore our human experiences together.
Career-connected literacy learning offers yet another avenue through which to engage with our students while we build reading, writing and speaking skills they will need to actualize their visions for their futures.
Studies show that students who have a more clear sense of purpose reported “a strong academic identity, which in turn was positively related to their grades.” (Yukhymenko-Lescroart, Mariya & Gitima Sharma, 2022).
Career-connected literacy learning enables students to immediately see the purpose and relevance of their learning and strengthens their agency as they transfer that learning into their daily life experiences.
Why career-connected literacy learning today?
Today’s English teachers are working harder than ever in a climate that is more demanding than ever. Declining public school enrollments, disappointing national test scores and tensions over classroom content have added unexpected layers to the daily complexity of our jobs. At the same time, today’s students are reporting declines in engagement and interest in their learning experiences (Turner 2024).
Career-connected literacy instruction by its nature, connects students and teachers with the broader community through positive interactions regarding students’ career goals and opportunities. Its relevance and immediate applicability can be motivating for our students. Studies show that career-connected learning increases hope, a sense of agency and academic success (Alagic 2023; Meeder, Hans & Powlowski, 2020; US Department of Education, n.d.).
Our students’ reading, writing and speaking skills are their bridge to the broader world–the vehicle through which they will engage with and impact their future workplaces and classrooms. Their literacy skills are not only relevant to their future success; they are essential. According to the MIT Sloan School of Business, effective communication is among the top five skills most valued by employers, and the Harvard Business Review encourages business leaders to “study the art in all its forms — writing, speaking, presenting — and constantly strive to improve on those skills.” Career-connected literacy instruction provides opportunities for students to learn and practice skills vital to their future workplace success.
So, what does career-connected literacy look like in an English classroom?
Here are a few examples:
Students can
read and explore resources that professionals in their desired future fields use to stay up-to-date on advancements and trends in technology or practices
understand the role that communication will play in their future field. Learn which reading, writing and speaking skills they will most need in order to thrive, then explore and practice those forms and strategies.
learn how to effectively prepare for and engage in job interviews
deliver bad news or calm a person who is escalating in a manner that preserves important relationships
write clear and compelling messages
run a collaborative meeting
advocate for change as they pitch an idea to important stakeholders
conduct informational interviews of professionals in their desired fields to ensure that they are preparing themselves well to enter and thrive in that field.
Career-connected literacy learning offers students the opportunity to explore possibilities and prepare for their futures while they develop reading, writing and speaking skills they can immediately apply whether in the context of a part-time job, captaining a team, or applying for college. Our students’ literacy opens doors to opportunity and professional growth, and English teachers can provide experiences that enable their students to step through those doorways with greater enthusiasm and confidence.
Want to learn more?
Sign up for our newsletters or buy Literacy That Works available February 20th on Amazon, a resource filled with ideas for weaving career-connected literacy into our English classrooms with over 45 QR codes, so you can adapt materials to suit your needs.
References:
Alagic, L. (2023, October 30). Research Round-up: Impact of Career-Connected Learning on Learner Engagement and Hope. Careertech.org. Retrieved January 3, 2025, from https://careertech.org/blog/research-round-up-impact-of-career-connected-learning-on-learner-engagement-and-hope/
Gallo, C. (2022, November 23). How Great Leaders Communicate. The Harvard Business Review. Retrieved 2 January, 2025, from https://hbr.org/2022/11/how-great-leaders-communicate.
Laker, B. (2023, June 27). Communication is at the Heart of Positive Employee Relationships. MIT Sloan Management Review. Retrieved January 2, 2025, from https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/communication-is-at-the-heart-of-positive-employee-relationships/#:~:text=The%20Importance%20of%20Communication%20Skills,ideas%2C%20perspectives%2C%20and%20knowledge.
Meeder, H. & Brett Powlowski. (2020, February 17). Preparing our Students for the Real World. https://cica.org.au/wp-content/uploads/Preparing-Our-Students-for-the-Real-World-021720.pdf
Turner, Cory. (2024, August 29). Teens are losing interest in school, and say they hear about college ‘a lot.’ National Public Radio. Retrieved 2 January, 2025, from https://www.npr.org/2024/08/29/nx-s1-5090895/teens-school-college-poll#:~:text=School%20engagement%20is%20down.,right%20out%20of%20high%20school.
United States Department of Education, (n.d.). Fact Sheet: Bolstering Student Attendance, Engagement and Success Through Career-Connected Learning. https://s3.amazonaws.com/PCRN/unlockingcareersuccess/Fact_Sheet-Bolstering_Student_Attendance_Engagement_and_Success_Through_Career-Connected_Learning.pdf
Yukhymenko-Lescroart M, Sharma G. ( 2022 Nov 11). Sense of life purpose is related to grades of high school students via academic identity. Heliyon. 8(11):e11494. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11494. PMID: 36411917; PMCID: PMC9674496. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9674496/#bib50