.png)
This week, I met with a wonderful Year 11 Student, who was full of enthusiasm and had a brilliant attitude. She also had amazing eyebrows which we discussed for a while and she gave me some good tips on my over-plucked 1990’s ones! We digressed (clearly!) but it set us up for a great chat and easy rapport.
We chatted through the usual; subjects (all good), hobbies (make up), revision (could do more) etc and settled in.
I asked if she had thought about what she may want to do after her GCSE exams; she told me, ‘I have always wanted to be Cabin Crew; I love the idea of flying, traveling and being with people’. Amazing!
But then she said ‘I mentioned it to a teacher and they laughed and told me I could do much better than that! So now I don’t know!'.
While I am all for raising aspirations, I am much more focused on encouraging our students to follow a dream and passion, and with self confidence. I was annoyed (internalised this annoyance) that a teacher (or anyone) had deemed what was ‘good enough’ for someone and voiced this without offering some guidance.
So, I did what I do best. We explored ALL the options around being Cabin Crew.
Routes into the career
Qualifications
Starting salaries
Progression
Working long haul vs short
Vacancies and LMI
Careers afterwards (something she was concerned about when she had a family etc)
We had a brilliant, positive and creative session together. I encouraged her to NEVER give up on a passion, and once explored is something she still wants to do, then go for it!
And next time someone says she could ‘do better’ she will have all the facts to hand as to why she is aiming for exactly the right thing for her and why this career path is her aspiration.
We want to build up our students, not cut them down. She left with confidence and assurance that this is a route she is still excited about and wants to explore more.
Comments