Pathful in Practice #8: Carol Schaper – Making Every Minute Count for Career Readiness

At Shiloh Middle School in Carroll County, Maryland, Career Coach Carol Schaper has found a way to turn small pockets of time into powerful opportunities for students to plan their futures. She uses a daily enrichment block called “PRIDE time” to make career readiness a consistent part of every student’s week. Each grade has its own 30 to 45 minute period for enrichment, extra help, or added lessons. That structure gives Carol a built-in window to work with students without interrupting academic instruction.

This time block gives her the flexibility to bring Pathful activities directly into classrooms and ensure every student gets access to meaningful exploration. Carol meets with each grade-level team during weekly planning to decide which Pathful lessons align with classroom learning and student goals.

“With 7th and 8th I meet them in small groups but with 6th grade it’s a full class,” Carol explained. “I emphasize that this is for them and that plans can change all the time, but we need to have goals.”

That message helps students see goal setting as something flexible and empowering, not fixed. They complete Pathful assessments like the Lifestyle Calculator and Interest Assessment, then revisit their results throughout the year to track growth. Carol’s 7th and 8th graders build on their reflections using goal worksheets, and their high school continues those same Pathful portfolios for long-term planning.

When teachers need sub coverage, Carol relies on Pathful’s FlexLessons, which can be used as-is or customized to fit a class’s needs. These lessons keep students engaged in meaningful learning even when routines change and give teachers simple, flexible ways to keep activities on track. You can also create your own FlexLessons and then share them with your colleagues to make implementation even easier across teams.

Her approach doesn’t just make lessons easier to deliver; it’s also helping students bring career conversations home and involve their families in the process.

“Students are more aware, and parents are opening up with them as well,” she said. “I’ve had many parents talk to me about their students’ thoughts.”

Why it works:
By using an existing enrichment period, Carol creates a consistent, low-pressure space for exploration and reflection that complements academic learning. Her collaborative planning, flexible grouping, and emphasis on revisiting progress show students that career learning is an ongoing process, not a single activity. Her approach proves that you do not need to add more class time to integrate career readiness; you just need structure, collaboration, and a clear purpose.

How to try it:
Try adapting Carol’s approach to fit your schedule and student needs:

• Meet with grade-level or academic teams to align Pathful lessons with classroom learning.
  
  
• Use advisory or enrichment blocks for short, structured Pathful activities.
  
  
• Combine the Lifestyle Calculator and Interest Assessment to connect values and goals.
  
  
• Keep sub plans ready with Pathful’s pre-built FlexLessons, or create your own and share them with your colleagues.
  
  
• Revisit saved results or goal sheets each term to help students track progress over time.
  
  

Carol’s story shows that meaningful career learning doesn’t take more time. It takes intention.

🤝 Want to help fellow educators? Share your go-to Pathful strategy for a chance to be featured in Pathful in Practice. Email impact@pathful.com.