Educational Material with Sample
Activities
Markus Ammann
University of Innsbruck, Austria
Lea Avguštin
National School for Leadership in Education, Slovenia
Tatjana Ažman
National School for Leadership in Education, Slovenia
Alma Rovis Brandić
Education and Teacher Training Agency, Croatia
Vesna Ivasović
Education and Teacher Training Agency, Croatia
Werner Mauersberg
University of Innsbruck, Austria
Polona Peček
National School for Leadership in Education, Slovenia
Inga Seme Stojnović
Education and Teacher Training Agency, Croatia
Mihaela Zavašnik Arčnik
National School for Leadership in Education, Slovenia
The following intelectual output (io3) aims at enhancing the knowledge
and skills for the career development of educational staff. The analyses of
national and international policies, strategies and documents (io1) led to
the conclusion that there was no systematic capacity building of teacher ca-
reer development. In order to address the existing void, a curriculum for
teachers’ career development (io2) was developed. The target group of the
curriculum ranges from preschool teachers to headteachers and should also
involve other members of educational staff. The main aim is to encourage
and motivate participants to use the theoretical and practical knowledge
about career development to their personal benefit. All educational staff
members are encouraged to provide information about the importance of
career development to their students in order to motivate them to create and
plan their own professional path early and systematically. The educational
material in intended to help with the implementation of the curriculum.
Keywords: lead career, modules, educational material, sample
activities
vodenje 2|2017: 97–112
Markus Ammann et al.
The following educational material with its sample activities ser-
ves as an example that can be used by trainers to create similar
material, be creative and flexible in following and achieving the
aims of the curriculum. Trainers are free to tailor the activities to
participants’ professional needs. It is recommended that the max-
imum number of participants in a group is 20. This ensures act-
ive involvement of all participants within the group. The optimal
time for each activity is proposed, but trainers remain free to ad-
just the length of the activities depending on participants’ profes-
sional experiences and needs. Three sample activities are presen-
ted for every module. The material covers all the aims but the first
(to introduce the participants to the curriculum). The five mod-
ules with the names and aims of sample activities are presented
in table 1.
Each module consists of three sample activities. The structure
of each activity is the following: activity name, aims, description,
time frame, resources and an example of a tool. The activities in-
clude, when appropriate, reflective questions for participants to
deepen the understanding of the learning process.
Module 1: My Career – My Dream
Activity 1: Looking Back
Aim. To enable participants to reflect on their own career paths.
Description of Activity
Part A:
1. Each participant mimes what they wanted to be when they
were a child. Other participants try to guess what it was.
In small groups, they discuss what has happened to their
wishes, why they have or have not changed.
2. Participants are encouraged to close their eyes and try to re-
call the reasons why they decided to become teachers. They
discuss the topic in small groups. Participants put the reas-
ons on five large size papers and are invited to tick what still
motivates them.
3. The trainer invites participants to describe what has happe-
ned to their motivation in the course of time, and how that is
related to their career.
Part B:
1. Each participant will draw a comic book of the ‘Story of My
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table 1 Modules, Activities, Aims, and Topics
Module Name of activity Aims and topics
My Career –
My Dream
Looking Back To enable reflection on participants’ own career paths.
In My Shoes To encourage reflection on participants’ own career
competences and career management skills.
Take a Look Further! To create a career vision.
I Am the Leader
of my Career
I Am the Manager To get basic knowledge about career management skills.
Me, Myself and I To be informed about national career guidance policies
and the labour market.
To assess own career management skills.
To be able to relate the personal career development to
career management skills.
Happy Ending Story –
Creating a Career
Vision
To build on future directions.
My Personal
Mastery
Challenging Life
Incidents
To identify and analyse the most influencing factors in
career planning.
Affecting Factors To link the identified factors to career competence.
Transferring Tools
and Techniques
To familiarise oneself with the tools and techniques
needed for the identification of influencing factors in
career planning.
I Plan my
Career
Find Your Way To help participants design/come up with different career
goals.
Boost Your
Self-Esteem
To foster a resilient attitude towards unexpected events
and show a variety of strategies.
Time to Make a
Change
To get introduced to job applications, assessment tools
and techniques.
My Learning
Process
My Learning Path To reflect on and assess the learning process.
Use of Career
Knowledge and
Skills, and the Role
of the Headteacher
To analyse the gained knowledge and skills related to
career development.
The Role of the
Headteacher
To identify possible future career scenarios.
Professional Life.’ The trainer explains that the emphasis
should be on symbols (expression of emotions).
2. Each participant receives crayons and a blank comic book
template with three to five sequences.
3. The comic books are exhibited on the wall and discussed.
Part C:
1. Participants choose a picture of vehicles that reflects their
career journey. They discuss their choices in small groups.
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2. After the discussion, they contemplate on whether or not they
want to change this picture and explain the reasons why.
The trainer can help with questions, such as: Do you think
that your career needs gas or brake or should continue at the
same pace? Do you think that you have the power to change
its speed? How could you do this?
Suggested Time. 120 minutes.
Resources. Maps, papers, scissors, toy vehicles, working sheets,
crayons, markers.
Tool. Comic book template.
Activity 2: In My Shoes
Aim. To encourage participants to reflect on their own career com-
petences and career management skills.
Description of Activity
Part A:
1. Explain how to use the satisfaction thermometer to all parti-
cipants. They have to indicate their level of satisfaction with
their current job, using the following scale: 0 – extremely low
level of satisfaction (I hate my job); 5 – moderate satisfaction;
10 – high level of satisfaction (I love my job).
2. Participants measure the levels of their satisfaction in their
current jobs.
3. They discuss their satisfaction levels in small groups.
Part B:
1. Walk & Talk activity – participants take a walk in different
directions within the room. When they meet another parti-
cipant’s eyes, they have to speak up about one problem they
have at work (in one sentence), without discussion.
2. Discussion in small groups about the activity follows.
3. Participants brainstorm about the possible consequences
of the different levels of satisfaction on the quality of life,
stress levels, health . . . Working in small groups, they write
down the notes. The noted consequences are discussed. The
trainer asks participants to think about what they could do
in order to be more satisfied and less tense regarding their
jobs, and to share their thoughts.
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Part C:
1. The trainer introduces the term ‘career competences.’ Parti-
cipants discuss in small groups and write down basic career
competences. After the presentation of each group, all com-
petences are written down on a large piece of paper. Parti-
cipants then make a list of competences they have and com-
petences they would like to have or develop.
2. The trainer introduces the term ‘career management skills.’
Participants are encouraged to think about and discuss what
allows some people to manage their careers effectively. They
group factors into two rows – internal and external factors –
and discuss them.
3. Participants are encouraged to find a way to raise their level
of satisfaction at work using their existing competences and
career management skills, as well as planning to develop
new career competences and career management skills.
They create free form diagrams and discuss them in pairs.
Suggested Time. 60 minutes.
Resources. Working sheets, crayons, markers, large size paper.
Activity 3: Take a Look Further!
Aim. To create a career vision.
Description of Activity
Part A:
1. In small groups, participants discuss whether their careers
simply happened or whether they actively planned their ca-
reers. The trainer stresses the importance of career plan-
ning.
2. They put on imaginary/paper ‘future reading glasses,’ and
imagine where they see themselves in the future.
3. They write down their ‘dream jobs’ on a piece of paper. The
trainer asks questions: Do you think it is possible to make
your dream come true? Why would you like to do your dream
job? What could you do to make your current job a dream
job?
4. Place all the pieces of paper in a bag. Participants each take
one piece of paper from the bag, read someone’s ‘dream job’
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and try to figure out whose job it is. They answer questions:
Would you like to keep your current job or trade it for the job
written on the piece of paper? Why?
Part B:
1. Participants are encouraged to brainstorm about the ways of
making their dream careers come true.
2. They write the ideas down and discuss them in small groups.
3. Group representatives recap the ideas. All the different ideas
get written on a large piece of paper. Participants discuss the
ideas and the potential to use them in real life.
Suggested Time. 60 minutes.
Resources. Small pieces of paper, large size paper, markers, bag
and glasses.
Module 2: I Am the Leader Of My Career
Activity 1: I Am the Manager
Aim. To gain basic knowledge about career management skills.
Description of Activity
1. Put yourself in others’ shoes. The presentation of five na-
tional and/or international famous career stories (written
story or video) follows.
2. Participants work in small groups. Every group gets one ca-
reer story and participants have to analyse the career path –
what led to the success, which career competences and man-
agement skills they can recognize in a specific successful
person, and try to find similarities and differences in compar-
ison to themselves. Group representatives present the ‘per-
sonal profile analysis’ of the successful person to all parti-
cipants.
3. After hearing all personal profile analyses, the groups delib-
erate on what the key career management skills are.
4. Group representatives present the key career management
skills that participants named and key competences for ca-
reer development.
5. The trainer writes down the different career management
skills and competences, and guides participants to add one
more important aspect they did not mention.
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6. Participants compare career management competences with
their own and discuss the possibilities to improve the short-
comings.
Suggested Time. 60 minutes.
Resources. Video or written materials, large size paper, crayons.
Activity 2: Me, Myself and I
Aims. To be informed about national policies regarding career
guidance and the labour market; to assess career management
skills; to be able to relate their personal career development to
career management skills.
Description of Activity
1. In small groups, participants discuss important personal
characteristics for career development. The trainer adds
those that participants have not mentioned. He or she invites
them to think about their personal strengths and weaknesses
for career development.
2. Each participant notes their own top three to five personal
attributes, and three to five potential weaknesses.
3. Participants discuss their values: Why am I working? What is
important to me about work? What do I value most?
4. Participants discuss their interests: What would you be will-
ing to do for free? What causes do you really care about? If
you could do anything to earn money, what would it be?
5. They complete the online ‘Skills Assessment’ at ‘Employabil-
ity Skills 2000+’ and analyse their results.
6. The trainer provides information about national strategy, la-
bour market and useful national documents.
7. Participants are encouraged to think and discuss how the na-
tional strategy and labour market characteristics could influ-
ence their career development, and how to overcome poten-
tial barriers.
Suggested Time. 120 minutes.
Resources. Worksheets, papers, markers, questionnaire.
Activity 3: Happy Ending Story – Creating a Career Vision
Aim. To build on future directions.
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Description of Activity
1. The trainer encourages participants to use the insights, in-
formation and knowledge they received during the activities
until now, in order to develop their own career vision.
2. On a large piece of paper, participants make their career
visions materialize in the form of a mental map: they draw
symbols and directions, write steps, positive affirmations, re-
minders . . .
3. Career visions are shown and discussed.
Suggested Time. 120 minutes.
Resources. Worksheet, papers, markers.
Module 3: My Personal Mastery
Activity 1: Challenging Life Incidents
Aim. To identify and analyse the most influencing factors in career
planning.
Description of Activity
1. Each participant lists their key career information and in-
cidents on the horizontal axis from their birth onwards.
The distance between individual bits of career informa-
tion/incidents should be as great as the participant feels or
knows it should be. The career information and incidents
are not necessarily related to participants’ work life, but also
include personal data and information that participants see
as connected to their work life.
2. Participants are paired. They present and explain their ca-
reer paths to each other and discuss them. They describe in
detail to each other what they meant under each career in-
cident – e.g. key people, associations – and what they notice
in their career paths.
3. On the vertical axis (emotional curve), participants mark
how they felt at that particular incident. These emotions are
graded from 1 to 5 (1 meaning very bad, 5 meaning really
well). Each incident should be accompanied with the key
name of emotion. Participants are paired again to discuss the
picture (e.g. Which incidents are emotionally potent/weak?).
4. At the final stage, each participant draws the incidents they
would like to happen in the future on their career path (ho-
rizontal axis). They can include the timeframe component or
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Educational Material with Sample Activities
figure 1 Career and Emotional Curve
not. Participants also indicate the level and type of emotion
regarding the incident (vertical curve).
Suggested Time. 120 minutes.
Resources. The career and emotional curve tool.
Tools. Career and emotional curve (figure 1).
Activity 2: Affecting Factors
Aim. To link the identified factors to career competence.
Description of Activity.
1. Each participant chooses 3 career incidents that have influ-
enced his or her life the most.
2. For each of the incidents, the participant completes a spider
grid, labelling the 4 influencing factors (1 being not influen-
tial at all, 7 being the most influential).
3. The participant connects the identified factors and colours
the grids.
4. At the final stage, participants compare the grids of all the
incidents. They look for differences and similarities to find
explanations.
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figure 2 Spider Grid
Suggested Time. 90 minutes.
Resources. Spider grid (see inserted tools below).
Tools. Spider grid (figure 2).
Activity 3: Tools and Techniques
Aim. To familiarise oneself with tools and techniques for the iden-
tification of influencing factors in career planning.
Description of Activity
1. Participants assess and evaluate the tools (career and emo-
tional curve, spider grid) used for the identification of influ-
encing factors in career planning for potential use in prac-
tice (with their students or clients). They strive to find the
answers as to where and how the tools can be used in their
everyday practice.
Suggested Time. 30 minutes.
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Resources. The tools (career and emotional curve, spider grid –
from activities 1 and 2).
Module 4: I Plan My Career
Activity 1: Find Your Way
Aim. To help participants design or come up with different career
goals.
Description of Activity
1. The trainer explains the term ‘goal’ and what qualities a goal
should have. Participants are introduced to the concept of
‘smart’ (Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-
Bound).
2. The trainer gives one good goal example and one bad one
and lets participants discuss which goal is formulated well
and why. This shows how goals ought to be formulated.
3. Then it is participants’ turn to formulate goals – at least 5
short term and long term goals.
4. The goals are presented in groups of four people. Participants
give each other feedback on the quality of their goals.
5. This step is optional and depends on the time available: In
small groups, the actions that need to be taken to achieve a
certain goal can be identified and also discussed.
Suggested Time. 120–140 minutes.
Resources. No special material needed.
Activity 2: Boost Your Self-Esteem
Aim. To foster a resilient attitude towards unexpected events and
get to know a variety of strategies.
Description of Activity
1. In order to come up with (new) coping strategies for unex-
pected events, participants are invited to have a look at their
past and how they dealt with similar situations, by answering
the following questions:
• What kinds of events have been the most stressful for me?
• How have those events typically affected me?
• How was I able to overcome those events?
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• To whom have I reached out for support in working through
such an event?
• What have I learned about myself and my interactions
with others during difficult times?
2. In a Think-Pair-Share procedure, participants first reflect on
these questions on their own. Then they share their thoughts
with another person and later present one of the examples
that they have been talking about to the plenum.
3. After the presentations, different coping strategies are identi-
fied from the given examples and, if necessary, the strategies
that have not been mentioned are added.
Suggested Time. 120 minutes.
Resources. None needed.
Activity 3: Time to Make a Change
Aim. To get introduced to job application and assessment tools and
techniques.
Description of Activity
1. This part can be very extensive and, keeping timeframe lim-
itations in mind, the trainer has to focus on one specific topic.
It is possible to ask participants upfront which topic they are
interested in and then focus on the chosen field of interest.
In our example, we focus on writing an application letter.
2. After a theoretical introduction to the application process
(finding a job ad, designing a cv, writing an application let-
ter, getting a job interview, . . .), participants will be confron-
ted with a well written job application and a job application
that is improvable.
3. In the first step, each participant goes through both applic-
ations and tries to find examples of good and bad practice.
After correcting the improvable application, participants dis-
cuss the results of these application reviews in groups.
4. In the final step, each participant searches for one job advert-
isement on the Internet or in a newspaper and formulates an
application for the job.
5. Applications are collected and the trainer gives a written
feedback.
Suggested Time. 240 minutes.
Resources. Two applications, access to the Internet or newspapers.
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Educational Material with Sample Activities
Module 5: My Learning Process
Activity 1: My Learning Path
Aims. To reflect on and assess the learning process, analyse the
gained knowledge and skills related to career development, and
identify potential future career scenarios.
Description of Activity The trainer explains to participants that
they will take a look at their career path as a whole, as seen
through all the modules they have attended, from their personal
and professional points of view (the trainer emphasises the im-
portance of this). This will help them analyse their learning pro-
cess and acquired knowledge in order to identify potential future
career scenarios. Steps:
1. Participants individually draw a tree as a symbol of the learn-
ing process. Each branch is a symbol of new or gained know-
ledge or skills. They name each branch according to the
knowledge they gained or received. They mark the activities
already put into practice with green colour, and those that
are still waiting to be integrated into their professional lives
with black colour.
2. Participants complete the following task: Identify the ‘dry’ or
‘wild branches’ in your career tree. Which are they and was
there any possible way to avoid them?
3. According to the picture of a tree, participants identify at least
2 possible future career scenarios (individual work).
4. At each table, participants present the identified career scen-
arios to each other. They discuss these scenarios, with the
emphasis on gained knowledge and skills. At the end of the
activity, the team choose at least one scenario that seems the
most likely and present it. (pair work, 20 minutes).
5. A discussion about presented scenarios follows. The moder-
ator is shadowing the presentation by putting the main ideas
on a flipchart. Based on this, the moderator and participants
draw conclusions together (group work, 20 minutes).
6. Conclusions made will be taken into consideration later,
when putting together a model of support.
Suggested Time. 90 minutes.
Resources. A roll of paper (a3 paper) for each participant, flipchart,
green and black markers.
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Activity 2: Use of Career Knowledge and Skills, and the Role
of the Headteacher
Aims. To reflect and assess the learning process, analyse the know-
ledge and skills gained in relation to career development, identify
potential future career scenarios.
Description of Activity
1. In groups, participants brainstorm about potential career ac-
tion steps.
2. They decide on the main, most important action steps – based
on the agreement of the entire group (10 minutes).
3. Each group put together the guidelines that will help parti-
cipants further develop their career (45 minutes).
4. The guidelines are presented and put on the learning wall.
Time is accorded to look at the guidelines and reflect on them
(30 minutes).
5. In groups, participants discuss these guidelines and each of
the individuals reflects on their possible use (20 minutes).
Suggested Time. 115 minutes.
Resources. Worksheet, completed previous activity.
Activity 3: The Role of the Headteacher (Expectations,
Experiences, Best Practices, Suggestions and Influences
on Teacher Career Development)
Aims. To identify participants’ (teachers’) expectations and exper-
ience regarding headteachers’ support for their career develop-
ment.
Description of Activity
1. Before attending the module, participants write down a de-
scription of the support they have received from their head-
teachers so far. Is there anyone else in your life who can help
you with your career decisions? This work is done at home.
2. Participants are divided into groups according to the school
level. Each participant presents their description.
3. A discussion in groups follows. Each group make their own
model (derived from their description) of the best practice as
they perceive it (20 min).
4. Each group present their model (20 min).
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Educational Material with Sample Activities
5. A group discussion takes place. The main points for develop-
ing headteachers’ support for teachers’ career development
are decided on.
6. Will you be able to incorporate these changes into your future
career?
Suggested Time. 90 minutes.
Resources. Paper, pencils.
Izobraževalno gradivo s primeri aktivnosti
Opisana Intelektualna spoznanja (is3) so namenjena krepitvi znanja in
veščin za karierni razvoj strokovnih delavcev v vzgoji in izobraževanju.
Analize državnih in mednarodnih politik, strategij in dokumentov (is1)
so pripeljale do sklepa, da ni sistematičnega razvijanja kapacitet za
razvoj kariere učiteljev. Za zapolnitev obstoječe vrzeli smo oblikovali
kurikul za karierni razvoj učiteljev (is2). Ciljna skupina kurikula so
strokovni delavci od predšolskih učiteljev do ravnateljev in drugih
vzgojno-izobraževalnih delavcev. Glavni namen je spodbosti in
motivirati udeležence, da uporabijo teoretično in praktično znanje o
razvoju kariere sebi v dobro. Vse strokovne delavce spodbujamo, da
svojim učence zagotavljajo informacije o pomembnosti razvoja kariere,
da jih motivirajo k oblikovanju in načrtovanju lastne poklicne poti zgodaj
in sistematično. Izobraževalno gradivo je mišljeno kot pomoč pri izvedbi
kurikula.
Ključne besede: LeadCareer, moduli, izobraževalno gradivo, primeri
aktivnosti
Markus Ammann is an Assistant Professor at the University
of Innsbruck. markus.ammann@uibk.ac.at
Lea Avguštin is a Project Coordinator and Lecturer at the National
School for Leadership in Education, Slovenia.
lea.avgustin@solazaravnatelje.si
Tatjana Ažman is a Senior Lecturer at the National School for
Leadership in Education, Slovenia. tatjana.azman@guest.arnes.si
Alma Rovis Brandić is a Senior Adviser for defectologists at the
Education and Teacher Training Agency, Croatia.
alma.rovis-brandic@azoo.hr
Vesna Ivasović is a Senior Adviser for psychologists and
psychology teachers at the Education and Teacher Training
Agency, Croatia. vesna.ivasovic@azoo.hr
Werner Mauersberg is a teacher at a secondary school and
a researcher at the University of Innsbruck.
werner.mauersberg@uibk.ac.at
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Polona Peček is a Senior Lecturer at the National School
for Leadership in Education, Slovenia.
polona.pecek@solazaravnatelje.si
Inga Seme Stojnović is a Senior Adviser for Preschool Principals
at the Education and Teacher Training Agency, Croatia.
inga.seme-stojnovic@azoo.hr
Mihaela Zavašnik Arčnik is a Programmes and Project Manager
at the National School for Leadership in Education, Slovenia.
mihaela.zavasnik@solazaravnatelje.si
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