In September 2017 we ran a classroom-based trial of the This Better Work 'Discover' sessions. Two Grade 9 classes of 26 students each participated. The sessions were adapted to fit in six 35-minute Life Orientation lessons. Students engaged with the exercises and group discussion in a workshop-style format and completed a short project based on the TBW Global Challenges. This presentation displays a selection of the student responses – shared with permission.

1. School Trial of the This Better Work Discover Sessions
In September 2017 we ran a classroom-based trial of the TBW Discover
sessions. Two Grade 9 classes of 26 students each participated.
The sessions were adapted to fit in six 35-minute Life Orientation lessons.
Students engaged with the exercises and group discussion in a workshop-
style format and completed a short project based on the TBW Global
Challenges.
This presentation displays a selection of the student responses – shared
with permission.
www.thisbetterwork.com

2. Each student developed a Career Passport
that contained reflective questions and
space to record their responses to the
exercises
Your Career Passport

3. We invited the students to think of their
career discovery process as a ‘Hero’s
Journey’ – a series of adventures in
which the hero sets out to find their
treasure – overcoming struggles and
fear, finding help and eventually
returning as a person changed by the
journey.
Your Life Journey

4. We helped students think honestly about their positive attributes and the the
challenges and struggles they’ve faced so far
Your Positive Attributes and Challenges

5. An interactive exercise developed by Windmills helps students discover the kinds of skills
they love using and are good at, the skills they could develop, and the things they don’t
enjoy or are not so good at
Your Skills

6. As a way to discover their interests, students imagined themselves stranded on a
desert island. They had to choose three of twelve native tribes they would join –
based on the kinds of things the people in the tribe loved doing most.
Your Interests

7. We’ve compiled a list of 16 key global challenges based on work done by the World
Economic Forum and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Students
reflect on what they think the world needs most and learn more about particular
challenges that inspire them (www.thisbetterwork.com/global-challenges)
Your Sense of Purpose

8. An interactive values exercise from Windmills helps students think about what matters
most to them – and how these might shape the next decision on their career journey
Your Values

9. We’ve adapted a personality exercise to help students discover what makes them tick on
the inside – the things that energise them and shape their actions
What Makes You Tick?

10. What kind of roles would you like to play in a future work environment? What would your
ideal work environment look like?
In our Roles exercise, students choose from a creative range of possibilities and think about
the kinds of work they would enjoy most.
The Roles You Could Play

11. In our final session we bring all the threads together and help students formulate their
‘Plan X’. This is their best idea right now of what they might enjoy doing after school.
Your Plan X

12. At some stage Plan X will need to become Plan A.
We aim to help students develop and refine their Plan X by:
1. Helping them make use of the things they already have to do in school:
We work with schools to help students gain more information and practical experience in
areas related to their Plan X in the course of their normal school life. This could happen
through tailored class assignments, science expo projects, workplace visits, voluntary
work experience etc. We are developing a range of resources to facilitate this process.
2. Offering individual and small group coaching sessions to help students create a plan to
get the knowledge and experience they need – and then reflecting on their experiences.
By leading students through this Discover – Create – Experience process each year from
Grade 9-12 we aim to help students make better decisions about the next steps in their
career journey.
Next Steps
www.thisbetterwork.com