Mapping Your Future

The lesson encourages students to use the Tahatū Career Navigator website and video resources as tools to support their journey beyond school.

Key Competencies:

• Self-management – managing themselves and their learning

• Thinking – using creative, critical, and reflective thinking skills

• Relating to others – communicating and collaborating

• Personal Growth and Development: Exploring strengths, goals and pathways (Career planning and self-awareness)

• Developing self-awareness of strengths, interests, and qualities

• Exploring career opportunities and pathways

• Making informed decisions and planning actions

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:

• Understand the purpose and relevance of completing a personalised career journey planner.

• Develop initial self-awareness by identifying personal qualities, community, interests, and values.

• Navigate and explore the Tahatū Career Navigator website including video resources and career ideas.

• Begin filling out the "My journey planner" relevant to their Year level with teacher support.

• Understand how to use their journey planner as a living document to support their career decisions and future planning.

Materials Needed

• Printed or digital "My journey planner" for Year 9-10 Year 11 or Year 12-13. depending on student year level

• Access to computers/tablets with internet for Tahatū website. Students can share a device to explore if not enough are available.

• Projector/TV to display Tahatū Career Navigator slides and videos

• Pre-prepared slides from "Tahatū Career Navigator"

• Whiteboard and markers

• Paper and pens/pencils for brainstorming activities

Lesson Structure

1. Do Now / Warm-up (10 minutes)

Activity:

• Distribute “My journey planner” sheet or digital link for students to open.

• On paper or in planner, students write or draw answers to: Who are you? (Name, three personal qualities from lists like 'caring', 'creative', ‘reliable’) Where do you live, and what is your community like?

• Purpose: Quickly build self-awareness and connect to the planner’s "My profile" section.

UDL Tip: Students can choose to write or draw. Offer vocabulary prompts for personal qualities if needed.

2. Introduction & Exploring Purpose (10 minutes)

Teacher explains:

• What the "My journey planner" is: a career action plan tailored to their year level to explore who they are and what they want to do in the future.

• How it helps make sense of their interests, skills, and possible career paths.

• Introduce the Tahatū Career Navigator website and video library as a key tool for career research and planning.

Display Slides: Use the Tahatū Career Navigator slides to visually reinforce ideas (self-awareness, opportunity awareness, decide and act).

Interactive Discussion:

• Ask: Why do you think it is important for you to plan your journey now?

• Briefly brainstorm ideas on the whiteboard (e.g., to know what to study, to find a job you enjoy, to plan money).

3. Guided Exploration of Tahatū Website (15 minutes)

Activity:

• Students create a simple login on the Tahatū Career Navigator site

• Assigned task: Explore the careers section, using video library or career ideas to find three careers of interest.

• Students note down what qualifications or training those careers require (give an example on projector).

UDL Tip: Students can share findings orally or write short notes, and videos provide audio-visual learning supports.

4. Completing the Journey Planner (20 minutes)

Activity:

• Students work individually on relevant sections of their "My journey planner":

• My qualities (select personal qualities & give examples)

• My community (describe or draw)

• Interests and possible career pathways (starting the exploration)

• Teachers circulate to support different year levels:

• Year 9-10 add exploring qualities and initial career ideas

• Encourage students to update their planners digitally or on paper and share key points with the teacher by the end.

Encourage Reflection: Ask students what surprised them or interested them most about the careers they explored.

5. Wrap-up and Reflect (5 minutes)

Activity:

• Quick round: Students share one thing they learned about themselves or a career they found interesting.

• Reiterate: This planner is a living document, and they will revisit and update it throughout the year.

End Task:

• Ask students to write down one action they will take next week to support their career journey (e.g., watch another career video, talk to a whānau member about their job).

Follow-up

• Teacher feedback on planner submissions encourages continuous reflection and updating.

• Follow-up lessons can build deeper on values, skills, goal-setting, or specific career pathways aligned to each year group’s developmental stage.

Notes for Teachers: Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Implementation

• Provide multiple means of representation: digital access, visuals (slides), videos.

• Multiple means of action and expression: drawing, writing, oral sharing, digital exploration.

• Multiple means of engagement: choice in careers to explore, self-paced completion of planners, collaborative discussions.

• Adapt for individual students, allowing scaffolded supports or extensions depending on needs.