From NWT Blueprint For Life/Work Designs (2003) http://www.ece.gov.nt.ca/Divisions/kindergarten_g12/indexK12.htm

Introduction Welcome to the exciting world of school based Career Development and to this new resource, the NWT Career Development K-9 Teacher Resource Manual. In the world of Career Development, the word "career" covers a lot of territory. It refers to more than one's occupation of profession. It is the integration of an individual's work, community, education, family and volunteer roles.

Career Development is a process that, when thoughtfully explored, will give individuals the ability to know one's self, to assess the opportunities in the environment and make successful matches between the two - on a lifelong basis. It is about actively creating the life one wants to live. The focus of Career Development should not be on "work for pay", or on the activities that will take place after high school. Career Development has as much to do with successful playground experiences as it does with setting one's sights on an occupation.

Purpose of the K-9 Teacher Resource Manual This NWT Career Development Teacher Resource Manual enables educators to address classroom career development in the following specific ways:

• providing a clear overview of the NWT Career Development learning outcomes as defined by the Blueprint of Life/Work Designs Career Development competencies;
• cross-referencing these competencies with the learning outcomes of all NWT Kindergarten - Grade 9 mandate curricula;
• providing exemplars for those competencies that did not have a strong connection to existing curricular outcomes.
• suggesting commercially available programs that might be used to further achieve Career Development outcomes.

Once educators become more familiar with the language and concepts of Career Development it will become clear that the opportunities to convey these outcomes both through planned alignment and by capitalizing on the "teachable moment: are literally endless. INFUSING CAREER DEVELOPMENT Curricula correlations are also provided to assist the teacher in "infusing" career development and career development related activities across the curriculum. Teachers can use the correlations as one way to interpret the various curricula that are taught. Strive to weave the "career perspective" into the outcomes areas being covered. For example,

• While discussing personal needs of students during a Health class, a teacher could introduce discussions related to how work could play a role in satisfying one's personal needs.
• While exploring tools, techniques and materials used by different people in your region (Science Grade 5 Meeting Basic Needs and Maintaining a Healthy Body), the teacher could explore how different types of work require different combinations of acquired skills, knowledge and attitudes

The correlations provide a particular set of reference glasses from which to view the regular curriculum delivery taking place at that grade level. The opportunities to infuse career development outcomes are endless. In essence, what teachers are asked to do is to:

1. Infuse career development into their everyday teachings using the correlations provided;
2. Perform the suggested activities (exemplars) with their students;
3. Use the assessment strategies to determine if students have gained in knowledge, skills or attitude;
4. Utilize some of the commercially available career development resources that have been identified.

The "High Five" Messages In addition to understanding the 11 Blueprint competencies it will be helpful for educators to be familiar with the "High Five" message of Career Development. These messages come from Canadian leaders in Career Development, who summarized what they knew about career development in five pithy messages.

• Change is constant, so get used to it and be prepared to make the most of it. Cultivate the attitude of "positive uncertainty" (H.B. Gelatt) - a curiosity about what opportunities will arise as a result of it.
• Follow your heart - when change is constant, relatively stable guideposts become all the more important. The "heart" is the set of characteristics that include values, beliefs, and interests. Learn let your "heart" drive your career path. Skills, knowledge, and attitudes are simply tools that allow the path to be followed.
• Focus on the journey - Career Development is not about making the right decision about a job ("What Should I be?"); it is the understanding the every decision is a career development decision ("What do I want to be doing now and in the future?"). To focus on the journey is keep attending to all the small decisions that lead one toward or away from one's goals. Setting goals is important, but don't forget to live in, learn from, and enjoy the present.
• Stay Learning - If change is constant then learning will need to be constant. Opportunities for learning are everywhere - we don't only learn in schools - but to make the most of these opportunities, people will need to know how to pursue and track their learning experiences. Also important is knowing about one's learning styles so that the learning experience can be shaped to best meet the needs.

In the NWT, a sixth message has been adopted, and that is:

• Believe in yourself - It may seem obvious, but unless we believe in ourselves, none of the other pieces can fall into place. In order to overcome challenges we'll have to recognize that our strenghts outnumber our limitations.

Overview of Grade K-5 Exemplars