For seven years, I taught PT at the local community college in the evening. Most of my students were older, but there would be 2-3 per class that in the 18-20 yo bracket who lived at home.
The last 3 weeks of classes would be the student's individual "project" presentations. After a brief written, informal proposal to me and weekly, verbal & individual polling of the class as to project progression(15 minutes going around the room of 25 students), a presentation and formal report was a major factor in the course grade. Students had to fill out peer reviews for each presentation & distributed back to presenter that day; I filled out the graded one and returned with the report at end of course.
So here is a 19 yo boy who used to work PT in HS at a locally owned pharmacy - owned by the pharmist working behind the counter (okay, it was a few years ago). He was going to help set up a computer system to keep track of scripts; well, he was going to help the pharmist look at computer systems. Til we get to the day of presentation, where one of his last lines was "The pharmist is SIGNING a $40,000 contract tomorrow to install my recommended computer system in his store". WHOA!
After talking to the young man (notice, he is no longer the boy) and clarifying the limited scope of direction that I and the college had in this "project", I learned some interesting items:
1). The pharmist was buying a packaged system tomorrow.
2). The young man's mother wanted to kiss the ground I walked on - as her sleep all day 19 yo was out the house many mornings during the semester working on this project with a tie on and shaved.
3). He was receiving business calls at the parent's house from computer companies who wanted to talk about the pharmist's needs & their proposals and he handled these calls like he was 10 years older.
4). He was OFFERED a job with educational benefits FT as he was getting his AS degree that month. The computer company was very impressed with his skills and maturity during their several month involvement with him and the pharmist. A good paying job, something his mom and dad thought would never happen as he had only been a "C" student.
You son, will find his way. And it maybe in a most unlikely class and happen very quickly.
The last 3 weeks of classes would be the student's individual "project" presentations. After a brief written, informal proposal to me and weekly, verbal & individual polling of the class as to project progression(15 minutes going around the room of 25 students), a presentation and formal report was a major factor in the course grade. Students had to fill out peer reviews for each presentation & distributed back to presenter that day; I filled out the graded one and returned with the report at end of course.
So here is a 19 yo boy who used to work PT in HS at a locally owned pharmacy - owned by the pharmist working behind the counter (okay, it was a few years ago). He was going to help set up a computer system to keep track of scripts; well, he was going to help the pharmist look at computer systems. Til we get to the day of presentation, where one of his last lines was "The pharmist is SIGNING a $40,000 contract tomorrow to install my recommended computer system in his store". WHOA!
After talking to the young man (notice, he is no longer the boy) and clarifying the limited scope of direction that I and the college had in this "project", I learned some interesting items:
1). The pharmist was buying a packaged system tomorrow.
2). The young man's mother wanted to kiss the ground I walked on - as her sleep all day 19 yo was out the house many mornings during the semester working on this project with a tie on and shaved.
3). He was receiving business calls at the parent's house from computer companies who wanted to talk about the pharmist's needs & their proposals and he handled these calls like he was 10 years older.
4). He was OFFERED a job with educational benefits FT as he was getting his AS degree that month. The computer company was very impressed with his skills and maturity during their several month involvement with him and the pharmist. A good paying job, something his mom and dad thought would never happen as he had only been a "C" student.
You son, will find his way. And it maybe in a most unlikely class and happen very quickly.
