HTHNC Career Day 2018
Career Day at High Tech High North County is an entire day dedicated to students getting a peek into the world of careers they are interested in. Students will contact someone who has a job they want or a job they are curious about, and will shadow them for 5 hours minimum. They will interview, take pictures, and take notes while on site.
For my Career Day, I shadowed education/inclusion specialist Ms. Christine Hatch who works at High Tech Middle North County. Ms. Hatch got an undergraduate bachelor's degree in both literature and creative writing, and in graduate school she got a masters in special education. |
A typical work day for Ms. Hatch is not typical at all. Because it is a school campus, different things happen all the time. Kids might have tantrums or need extra help throughout the school, and Ms. Hatch has to take care of it. The one thing that is constant however, is the paperwork Ms. Hatch has to get through every morning. It isn’t that bad though. Because she has done it so much, the paperwork has become muscle memory for her.
The policies at High Tech Middle North County are not strict at all. The dress code is completely casual, and you are allowed to use technology at all times. As long as you are being respectful, of course. |
Ms. Hatch is either working with kids, working with parents, or doing paperwork. When working with kids, she is preventing kids from being frustrated, helping kids with working/learning disabilities, and just providing extra help all around. When working with parents, she is having meetings about what steps they need to take for their child to have the best life at school, and special settings for state tests.
At my school, High Tech High North County, we do a lot of collaboration and working with others which will definitely help with this job, since I will be working with kids, parents, and co-workers. However, I expect to learn more about life skills like scheduling meetings and time management at my school. |
Some things I learned were that, even though your job is working with kids, sometimes you don’t get to work with them that often. Ms. Hatch has to do a lot more, like meeting with parents, paperwork, mailing things, and running around trying to get information. But that’s the fun of the job! You never know what’s gonna happen next, and it’s never dull.
I am definitely considering this job. While shadowing, Ms. Hatch gave me the opportunity to do her job for her. I got to help kids with disabilities do their work which came pretty naturally to me, and was really rewarding. I do like organizing things, so the filing and paperwork part of the job won’t be much of a problem for me. I work well with others, so working with parents and co workers will be easy.
For my next Career Day, I would like to shadow someone who works in a different field. I want to see as many different jobs as possible so I can get as much insight as I can for the future. I want to ask more questions next time around as well. Overall, Career Day 2018 was very successful and very fascinating, and I can’t wait for the next one.
My Q&A with Ms. Hatch:
What are some the pros of being an education specialist?
Working with kids, building relationships, and she loves organizing and perfecting paperwork.
What are some of the cons?
As much as she likes paperwork, she also hates it. It takes time away from other things she would rather be doing. Working with parents can be difficult as well if they are ignorant or not cooperating. You also have to work with people who are difficult to get along with at your job.
What did you major in?
An undergrad bachelor’s in literature and creative writing and a master’s in special education.
How has your previous experience of being a slam poet help you at your job now?
Christine decided to become an inclusion specialist because of slam poetry. She loved helping people get up on stage and become confident in themselves. Because of that, she realized she wanted to help students learn.
What is something you constantly look forward to everyday?
Something Ms. Hatch always gets excited about everyday is the Wakanda High-Five. It comes from the movie Black Panther, and has become an inside joke with the whole school. So every time she comes up to someone, she gives them a Wakanda High-Five.
I am definitely considering this job. While shadowing, Ms. Hatch gave me the opportunity to do her job for her. I got to help kids with disabilities do their work which came pretty naturally to me, and was really rewarding. I do like organizing things, so the filing and paperwork part of the job won’t be much of a problem for me. I work well with others, so working with parents and co workers will be easy.
For my next Career Day, I would like to shadow someone who works in a different field. I want to see as many different jobs as possible so I can get as much insight as I can for the future. I want to ask more questions next time around as well. Overall, Career Day 2018 was very successful and very fascinating, and I can’t wait for the next one.
My Q&A with Ms. Hatch:
What are some the pros of being an education specialist?
Working with kids, building relationships, and she loves organizing and perfecting paperwork.
What are some of the cons?
As much as she likes paperwork, she also hates it. It takes time away from other things she would rather be doing. Working with parents can be difficult as well if they are ignorant or not cooperating. You also have to work with people who are difficult to get along with at your job.
What did you major in?
An undergrad bachelor’s in literature and creative writing and a master’s in special education.
How has your previous experience of being a slam poet help you at your job now?
Christine decided to become an inclusion specialist because of slam poetry. She loved helping people get up on stage and become confident in themselves. Because of that, she realized she wanted to help students learn.
What is something you constantly look forward to everyday?
Something Ms. Hatch always gets excited about everyday is the Wakanda High-Five. It comes from the movie Black Panther, and has become an inside joke with the whole school. So every time she comes up to someone, she gives them a Wakanda High-Five.