Teaching experience is positively associated with student’s achievement gains throughout a teacher’s career. Gains in teacher effectiveness associated with experience are most steep in teachers’ initial years, but continue to be significant as teacher reach the second, and often third, decades of their careers. Teaching children who don’t had much knowledge in the beginning of the year and seeing them progress has been a great source of satisfaction.When you feel fully satisfied with your teaching profession and after a decade while walking on the streets and someone suddenly calls you and thank you for all your dedication and hard work and when that person gives you the credit for his/her success then that will be your true achievement. I have been a teacher for more than 15 years and am still looking forward to every new session with the same enthusiasm. Best I cannot say, but I would like to mention these:

1.I feel perpetually young-always surrounded by my students. So am full of zeal as every generation adds to my knowledge, curiosity is peak high, loves their harmless pranks, naughtiness and always learning latest trends, tricks, hacks from them. In short, am very much in love with my job. Each day is different. Thanks to them!

2.The satisfaction of seeing my students reach places and the immense pleasure I get is beyond comparison when they take the trouble to acknowledge and meet me after so many years!

3.The opportunity to be a mentor, guide and counsellor! Its not because am the best. But the trust with which they share the most personal experiences is heartwarming! The feeling I get to be just there for them when they cannot share or connect with others gives me great satisfaction!

When working with students, there are other issues that one must consider:

1. The issues related to the career decision making of young women. Although we have come a far way in terms of sex role ideology and the sex typing of occupations, one has to be aware that, in some cases, we have fallen behind. These issues must be kept at the forefront as both boys and girls can still be influenced negatively. In my own research, I found that some of the factors that can influence girls’ career decisions include:

– Sex-role ideology

– Role models

– Socio-economic status

– Family characteristics such as parental education

2. Boys also need systematic programs in career development to ensure that they choose occupations consistent with their needs and aspirations.

3. Special attention must be given to young people from diverse backgrounds and children in special education programs. I am often pleased to see many young people with special education needs working in supermarkets and other organizations. Employers deserve special commendations for the support they have provided to schools to assist in the career development of students.

Career education is an equity issue. We don’t want students’ career aspirations or expectations to be limited by socio-economic or other socio-cultural factors. Career education has the potential to enhance the roles and life chances of students and to improve educational outcomes for students in general, and particularly for those at risk of dropping out of school.

 Teachers, parents and the community-at-large have a pivotal role to play in helping students discover their interests, aptitudes and dispositions and to provide role models.

Teachers are in a good position to relate what they teach to the world of work and occupational choices. In this regard, every teacher could be described as a career educator. The focus in the early grades is on career awareness and exploration – not career choice. In the later grades, when teachers relate the content of the curriculum to occupations, it also helps students see the relationship between learning and earning.

Much is being said today about 21st century skills, social and emotional learning, the development of the “soft skills,” grit, resilience and character. All of these skills that are essential for career development. Teaching these skills require a cross-curricular, interdisciplinary approach – one that encourages all teachers, regardless of area of specialization, to help students develop and see the relevance of these skills in their career and life roles. Teachers, parents and the community-at-large have a pivotal role to play in helping students discover their interests, aptitudes and dispositions and to provide role models. They must also work with the business community to find opportunities for students to “try out” their career interests. Cooperative education, apprenticeship and other work experience programs have been very helpful in this regard.

Throughout our lives, we play many roles. We are students, employees, consumers, citizens and parents, to name a few. The fulfillment of these life roles is dependent on education generally and career education specifically. Career education can help shape our prospects of leading productive, self-sustaining and satisfying lives. It has motivated some students to dream and visualize their role and place in society. Through increased self-awareness, students can also recognize that they have the potential to develop the skills necessary to realize their full potential. Ultimately, everyone benefits – the individuals and society as a whole.

Career development must become an educational imperative!!