Renay was in a flurry of graduation-related activities for her personal life. Her godsons, J and W, were in their respective graduations in different areas of the region, and Renay was out running around getting to those events.
As she sat with family both J and W are the middle of the family, so while the tears of relief that each of these young men are on their way to their futures, there is not the nostalgia that happened when the twins graduated over ten years ago, and certainly very different from C’s graduation just last year. When Renay spoke with her godsons about their wants for their future, and this has not changed all year for both, they want the things that will set them up for success. J was always set on a specific pathway, and W has changed his mind over his school years, but W is now confident in trying a chosen activity.
Why does this personal story matter?
For young adults with disabilities, conversations around “what is next?” can often be turned into a hushed corner: “Your responsibility is not this conversation.” For paraeducators, your curiosity may come from a place of genuine concern for students you have watched grow. But who you ask, especially if it is a student who has unconventional means of communication, should be done respectfully.
Ask the student first. Be their adult who cares in a school setting. You are setting the expectation, no matter what the next step is (Adult Living Skills, College, Job Skills) has as much weight as any other student. Other peers get to hear this conversation as well. Showing respect to students with disabilities whose lives, like their peers, are changing is a way to draw peers to have conversations. Talking about that next step helps students with disabilities prepare for that change, and what the change can be for each student.
Be their adult who cares in a school setting. You are setting the expectation, no matter what the next step is (Adult Living Skills, College, Job Skills) has as much weight as any other student.
ParaEducate
Recognizing that an ending is just a beginning is good for the staff as well. Seeing students take off into their future is the honor and goal of all students.
While we are taking off
Renay is in the middle of Extended School Year. And she has a bit of a return to activities, being involved in secondary with students, with students transitioning to Adult Living. The year has ended for many school districts. And we hope everyone can find a way to enjoy the time off. But we would be remiss if we did not celebrate this posting.
A minor celebration today, June 24, is the fourteen year mark since we started ParaEducate, the book. While three of the four members of the original ParaEducate team were seen back in March, we have plans for the future of ParaEducate.
We thank you for your continued support.
ParaEducate will return in September for the upcoming school year.
Do you have any comments about this month’s blog? Do you have a question for us? Would you like to have an opportunity to pilot some materials at your campus? Find ParaEducate online here, here, here, and on our website. ParaEducate is a company providing materials, information, and strategies for people working in special education inclusion settings for grades K-12. ParaEducate, the blog, is published once a month during the academic school year. ParaEducate shares their findings at conferences, through their books, and through their academic adaptations.
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