Fiftieth
Anniversary Party
Joanne's Family
Memorial
Get-together Broadcast
Memorial
Get-together Essay
Text
Bach
Bradenburg
Concerto #6 (Karl Richter)
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Let's Talk
This is not a
preexisting national program as some
have thought, but rather a recently
conceived idea coming out of discussions
between Joanne and her husband. It is
meant to honor her and an important
aspect of the teaching profession, one
that has perhaps received too little
attention -- namely the
ongoing dialogue that can and should
take place about where a young
person might be going in life as a
result of her or his education and
life experience. Parents and others
can and should be important
participants in this effort, and
thus the "Let's Talk" effort.
One's
participation could be
as little as one
session with a young
person. The goal is to
explore the strengths
of that young person
from a career
perspective including
where he or she
might fit in. Let's
Talk can be both
an educational
experience as well as
a confidence-building
one. A career is to be
thought of as a "life
path". A career can
and probably will
involve a job, but
that is only part of
the story.
What might
happen in a
session of Let's
Talk? Well, you,
the older person
(OP) with your job
experience and,
beyond that, your
perspective on
life in general
can leverage
things like: "How
did you get your
first
career-oriented
job"? "Did it mesh
with your
self-view or, if
not, did it help
you find the 'new
you' ".
A
pre-career young
person (YP) is
someone who would
like to
participate and is
not presently
pursuing a
career-oriented
job (they may have
"a job" of
course).
A dialogue
like the following
might possibly
occur:
OP: Hi
____, this
get-together
should be fun
and interesting
-- perhaps as
much so for me
as for you. So to
start, what do you
think you are good
at, both in
general terms as
well as specific
ones.
YP: Boy I
don't know. That's
what I'm hoping to
get out of this.
OP: Well,
I need some
feedback from you
since I'm not
going to put words
in your mouth. You're
the important one
here, not me.
I won't be around
in 40 years, but
you will be. Let's
try a different
tack. What do you
enjoy doing the
most? What would
be an activity
that's so nice for
you that its too
good to believe
that it could be a
future career.
As the
dialog above tries
to convey, the OP
is doing a
mini-recapture
of the classical
mentoring
relationship
between a
teacher or
family member
and a young
person, but
"Let's Talk" is
meant to involve
a limited time
effort.
The YP could
be any
young person.
If worthwhile
results
happen,
followup
sessions could
take place.
The
session will
be a success
if it starts
the young
person
thinking about
his or her
path through
life. One
session
certainly will
not provide
the
final answer
in what
should be a
dynamic,
ongoing,
evolving
process.
I(BT) will
combine,quote
and synthesize
and place the
ongoing
results sent
to me at the
email below on
this web site
every few
days.
Followup
Options
A participant may choose any of
the followup options below:
1.
No communication option. You do the
interview, but don't tell us the results.
2. You
send an email
talking about your
interview, but
request the "no
Internet" option.
3. You send an email
talking about your
experience and allowing "Internet
quoting", but with no names used
(neither yours nor the young person's
name).
4. You send an email
talking about
your experience
and allowing
"Internet
quoting" with
your name used,
but the young
person's name
withheld.
Options 1 through 4 all withhold the
name of the young person (YP).
5. You send an email saying I'm a
young person (YP) and here's
what I would like
to or did get out
of such a session.
(First name only
used or entirely
withheld at your
option).
Followup
Benjamin
Trimble: A very rewarding give-and-take Lets Talk discussion
took place recently between myself and a neighborhood high-school
student, Emily. The session was about one hour and
explored many career possibilities. I and Emily
both felt it was very worthwhile. More general
observations may be forthcoming, but no personal
details will be revealed.
Benjamin Trimble: Another give
and take session took place a week ago with a young coed
at a major University in the southeast. The discussion
focused on how important communication -- oral or
written -- is in any career. Typically, one is trying to
present an idea and convince a possibly skeptical
audience its validity. I detected some excitement in
this young person's view of where she is going. I really
think young people are very surprised and encouraged
when we interact in this way.
Please
sign Joanne's guestbook
Email: bt@btrimble.net