FutureLab, an LOB program for secondary schools, revolves around this question. Because when you become who you are, you usually become happy, doing things that suit you. Therefore, this LOB question should be central in school and all subjects should revolve around becoming who you are.
How did you become who you are?
If I ask you this question in the past tense: "How did you become who you are?", you will probably not have an immediate answer. You would probably think back to all the steps in your career since your school days and what you have experienced in all those years, which made you make certain choices. Maybe also your interests, such as hobbies you had from an early age, or talents you have always had, such as musicality or being good at maths....
Experiencing and thinking about it
That is exactly why you become who you are. Becoming who you are consists of a mixture of different experiences that you have in your life and consciously thinking about them; what do I like, what is interesting or not interesting? Why does it make me (not) happy? How does it suit me? Why do others think it suits me? What does that say about my qualities and talent? How can I use them and what do I still need to develop/learn?
What do teachers think about this?
I wonder if this question is alive among teachers and if they think it is important to discuss this regularly with students, in order to also discuss how you as a subject teacher can contribute to this with your subject.
Discuss it together?
Which teachers, mentors and deans of secondary schools may I invite to a meeting to discuss how we can help pupils to become who they are and make this career orientation question the main issue rather than an afterthought at school? I would like to discuss with these teachers what is needed to achieve this and especially, what they themselves need.