by Janice Hewitt on 20 Sep, 2020
Let’s Talk Careers: Canada’s Most Informed School and Students Competition isn’t just about winning prizes, believe it or not. There are tangible, long-lasting benefits for students, parents, and educators who participate in the daily quiz. We don’t call it Canada’s Most Informed School and Students Competition for nothing!
By researching and answering questions about post-secondary and career options, students increase their awareness about the opportunities available to them after high school. They are also better able to understand their own preferences through a unique report based on their answers. Students will start to make connections between what they are learning in math, science, or social studies and the pathways that lie in front of them toward future careers.
How annoying is that question, “When am I ever going to need this information, anyway? 🙄 ” It’s easy for us to proclaim, “ChatterHigh is the answer!” But, there’s still the matter of having to work out this new tool for yourself, then explain it and get the kids signed up for it. You’ll probably also need to field questions from parents and make sure everyone is actually getting value out of the new tool. That, we can also help with.
Here are some simple tips and resources to help you get everyone on board:
1. Start early
We know you have a lot going on this school year. Between keeping surfaces clean, uncertainty about how lessons will be delivered today vs tomorrow, and getting Johnny to wear his mask, incorporating another ‘thing’ may be at the bottom of your list. We encourage you to create an account or log in early to get a sense of the tool and just how easy it is to use!
Using Chatterhigh software is not an issue. Students can use it to log on and access it with no problem, whether it be on a desktop, laptop, tablet, and, of course, their phones. With recent developments and additions to the website, Chatterhigh is becoming much more than just a career or post-secondary institutional search engine. It is becoming a tool that allows students to look at a life balance from a wide number of perspectives. Mental health, physical workplace safety, economics, and financial literacy modules make Chatterhigh much more than a career site. New teachers to Career Ed programs from any grade level, but specifically high School have a great resource to start coursework planning.
Ian Busfield, Teacher
2. Use us and our free resources
We’re here to help! Just send us an email or give us a call (250.590.0566) — we’re happy to help troubleshoot. We also have instructions that you can share with students or parents to help them create an account and start quizzing. Download the instructions here.
3. Build it into the daily routine
Whether you’re in person or remote, starting your lesson with an engaging activity not only facilitates further discussion but also sets the stage for the rest of the session by encouraging an active learning mentality. It only takes a few minutes a day and progress can be saved along the way.
*Insider tip: schools who were at the top of the leaderboard last year did this as the first activity with their classes every day during the competition. Students were coming to class, excited to sit down and get started with their career exploration activity.
4. Explain the benefits and rewards.
The message might be different for parents as opposed to your students. Here are some ideas for both.
Parents might be interested in the research and results that this activity can have on their children. So, feel free to share this article with them and encourage them to sign up and quiz on behalf of the school. It is a fun activity that they can do with their child and it stimulates conversation at home.
Students, on the other hand, are probably pretty keen to hear about the personal bursaries that they can win. They can ‘level up' to unlock higher prize amounts by answering more questions. They can also access a report that is unique to them, identifying their interests as well as some suggestions on clubs and extracurricular activities they might want to join.
Oh, and did we mention bragging rights? Everyone loves a little healthy competition, don’t they?
5. Share the rankings as we send them
Speaking of healthy competition, we share weekly leaderboard updates via email with participating teachers. You can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more regular updates. Share these with colleagues, parents, and students to cheer them on or get in a cheeky jab about your class’s stellar results!
*Insider tip: One of our top schools from last year told us that they used to share leaderboard updates during school-wide announcements and assemblies to keep motivation high.
6. Tell parents about it
Informing parents helps to build your relationship with them early on. Parents will be impressed with the multi-media approach and will value the opportunity to engage in college and career discussions with their children. Plus, getting them to quiz helps to earn points and potentially CASH for your school!
“Navigating conversations with teenagers about their future plans is never easy. ChatterHigh is a bridge builder between parent and teen. It creates great conversations about values, hopes, and possibilities.”
– Kyla Ward, parent
Better yet, tell everyone about it! The most successful schools and students had a champion teacher or parent who takes the lead and keeps everyone up to date. Could that school champion be you?
7. Take the quiz yourself
You never know what you’ll learn, and you will be able to have informed discussions within the classroom about the importance of future planning. Plus, you can win prizes too!
Between 2016 and 2018, 90% of NB educators who participated saw an improvement in their students’ ability to see the linkage between what they are learning in high school and life after high school. These tips can help you help your students succeed in their future and maybe win a prize along the way!
Ready to get started? Log in or create your account now!
