Business&ITCenter21: Professionalism

This module provides an overview of professionalism, including appearances, personal characteristics, and traits belonging to successful employees as students practice dealing with workplace situations and evaluate the effectiveness of employees.

The Professionalism module is designed according to the AES course framework, which includes four phases:

1. Explore
2. Learn & Practice
3. Reflect
4. Reinforce

Below you'll discover how AES can help you teach your students about professionalism according to these four phases.

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Phase 1: Explore

Activity: Characteristics of Professionalism

In this activity, students will listen to scenarios and discuss professionalism related to appropriateness, first impressions, and approachability, etc.

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Phase 2: Learn & Practice

Unit 1: Personal Qualities

In this unit students will learn about: ideal personal characteristics and traits and the importance of an appropriate appearance, and then reflect on their own strengths and weaknesses. 

Lessons
  1. Appearance 
  2. Desirable Traits 
  3. Quiz

Unit 2: Personal Management Skills

In this unit, students will learn about: the importance of time management and how to apply a general problem solving method. 

Lessons
  1. Time Management 
  2. Problem Solving 
  3. Quiz

Unit 3: Teamwork

In this unit, students will learn about: leadership, teamwork, team roles and their own strengths and weaknesses in those roles. Students will attempt to successfully lead a team. 

Lessons
  1. Teamwork 
  2. Leadership 
  3. Effective Teams 1 
  4. Effective Teams 2 
  5. Quiz

Unit 4: Workplace Integrity

In this unit students, learn about workplace harassment, discrimination, and bullying. They also learn about the importance of keeping workplace information confidential.

Lessons
  1. Harassment and Discrimination
  2. Confidentiality of Information
  3. Quiz

Phase 3: Reflect

Activity: Reflection Questions and Discussion

In this activity, students will journal about professional characteristics and behaviors, how characteristics and behaviors can positively and negatively impact teams, and leadership. A class discussion can follow.

Phase 4: Reinforce

Activity: Professionalism and Teamwork

In this activity, students will work in groups to rewrite the scenarios from the Explore activity so that the outcome is opposite of the original.

Activity: Current Event

Students will review articles for information related to a topic in the module. Once an article is found, students complete a Current Event form.