What students need to know

Over the past four weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to teach macroeconomics to students in grades 11 through 12. My goal has been to help them see that economics is not just about money or markets, but about the everyday choices they make and the consequences of those choices.

I emphasize a core principle: every decision you make involves an opportunity cost. Choosing one path often means giving up another. This idea has helped them start to recognize that their daily decisions shape their future direction in meaningful ways.

To bring these concepts to life, I’ve built the class around a few key exercises. The first is called Finding Your Superpower. In this activity, students reflect on the skills they’ve already developed. Whether academic, personal, or practical and begin to identify what sets them apart.

The second activity, Not My Job, flips the focus. Here, students think critically about what types of jobs or roles they don’t want to pursue. This is just as valuable as knowing what they do want; learning what doesn’t fit helps narrow the path forward.

The final project is writing an elevator speech. A concise, confident introduction they could use with a potential employer, mentor, or recruiter. In their speeches, they explain who they are, what they’re looking for, and how the listener might be able to help.

It’s a powerful exercise in both self-awareness and communication.

These lessons don’t just apply to the start of a career but they’re relevant to retirement planning as well. What kind of life do you want in the long run?

What don’t you want? Do you have a Plan A and a Plan B? It often takes years of effort and adjustment to fully settle into the path you choose. By grounding students in these economic and personal decision-making frameworks early on, my hope is to equip them with tools that will serve them throughout life and not just in the classroom.

  #AdjunctLife, #TeacherReflections, #SeasonOfChange, #LifeTransitions, #SpringTransitions, #NewBeginnings, #MultipleIronsInTheFire, #FaithOverFear, #StayProductive, #EmbraceTheChange