Lauren Hughes

3.2 Career Paths

1.1.2 Identify the scope of career opportunities and the requirements for education,

training, certification, licensure, and experience.

Once you get to high school, this is when you start thinking about your future. What

college you want to go to, what you want to major in, and what job you want to pursue. As of

right now, my plan is to become an elementary special education teacher. I still have several

years of learning experience I need to get through and things I need to achieve such as, know my

career interests, figure out potential career pathways, and explore post-secondary options. I have

made a plan considering all of these things called “My Career Plan” ( evidence 3.2.1).

First, being a teacher requires a certain type of person with specific traits. I took the “16

Personalities” test (evidence 3.2.2) which resulted in a distinct personality type, which I explain

in my evidence. My traits and strengths are similar to those of which teachers need to be

successful (evidence 3.2.3 and evidence 3.2.4). In order for a teacher to be good at their job, they

need to be able to connect and understand their students. This includes having traits such as

trustworthy, loyalty, sensitivity, personability and so on.

Secondly, now that I know what type of job my personality corresponds to, I have started

to plan out the pathway for the future. I explain my ideal job as an elementary special education

teacher, teaching in a suburban setting, however, still unsure of what state or city I would like to

be in (evidence 3.2.1). In fifth grade I was involved in the service club. I was assigned to go to

the special ed room during my recess period and hangout with the kids and help the teachers out.
I loved it! It didn’t matter that I was missing recess or that I wasn’t with my friends, I had such a

good time in that room and have been interested in special ed ever since. I am not really

interested in higher positions (evidence 3.2.5), but they are always an option if I change my

mind.

Finally, post-secondary options. I am a junior in high school right now so it is around the

time where I really need to focus on where I want to go to college and what I want to study. In

“My Career Plan” (evidence 3.2.1) I talk about colleges I have been considering and the average

ACT at each school. I would like to go somewhere warm like North Carolina State, with a great

education program (evidence 3.2.6). However, tuition wise Ohio State University is a great

option with a very good special education program (evidence 3.2.7). In my evidence (3.2.1) I

also outline my plan for and beyond graduation. I would like to major in Special Education and

minor in Early Childhood Education, along meeting all requirements and earning the required

certifications to become a teacher (evidence 3.2.8).

Although it may be scary to think about the future, having a plan will make it seem less

intimidating and help you prepare for the next steps of your life. As I said earlier, my plan is to

become a special education teacher. There are several steps I need to get through before

achieving this goal, but now I have a plan to follow, and before I know it I will be in my own

classroom teaching my own students.