DOMAIN 6

Information and Artifacts

CAREER DEVELOPMENT IN PRACTICE

Career development may take many forms in practice depending on the structure of a district or school. As a classroom teacher and case manager, I am responsible for ensuring my students’ transition needs are met. Although my district has a Transition Services department that runs a program in cooperation with Vocational Rehabilitation, they do not directly serve students who are still in high school. They support high school case managers by arranging worksites in the community, which teachers are then able to send students to with paraprofessional support. I determine which students will attend the available sites based upon student skill level, the tasks and expectations of the job site, and student preference. Students participate in job training activities for at least one hour per week from September through May while we are in school. “Supporting youth with disabilities in the workplace requires two general areas of attention. The first is oversight during the work experience itself, which includes such basic activities as teaching someone how to do various job tasks, giving feedback on performance, and providing regular follow-up” (Luecking, 2009, p. 140). A paraprofessional accompanies my students to the job site, supports them with learning the tasks assigned, and evaluates them using a rating tool that indicates levels of support or independence demonstrated. Currently, my students participate in job training experiences at the county senior center, a restaurant, a local Salvation Army thrift store, and a local pizza parlor. Past sites have included a CVS drugstore, a local park, and an assisted living center. Next year a new site will be added; a grocery store. It is important to identify options for my students that are close to where they live; many of our sites are within walking distance or on a public bus route that stops right outside our school.

I facilitate career awareness for my students through various activities and events in the classroom setting. My students participate in a weekly career search activity using the website MyNextMove.org. I developed a graphic organizer to help students collect information in order to research a career. Students are supported with speech-to-text functions embedded within classroom technology and adult support as necessary. Videos are accessed to give students a better idea of the aspects of the career they are researching; sometimes they are available within the website, and other times videos are found online.

Many of my students participate in Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses through electives. Students are enrolled in culinary related courses, computer courses, and human services courses. These courses align with industry standards, are taught by individuals with real-world industry experience, and provide my students with opportunities to learn alongside peers in the general education setting. Other opportunities for career awareness and development on campus include school-based internships with the grounds keeping crew, librarian, and in the Early Childhood Education center.

I have utilized instructional resources addressing work related behaviors and skills in my classroom. I have used curriculum such as “Soft Skills to Pay the Bills” developed by the Office of Disability Employment Policy at the U.S. Department of Labor, and “The 411 on Disability Disclosure: A Workbook for Youth with Disabilities” published by the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth. Educating students on soft skills, disability rights and disclosure are critical to ensuring students are ready to enter the workforce. These resources are intended for youth with disabilities but must be modified for some of my students who have more significant needs.

The counseling department at our school organizes an annual college and career fair for all students. My students attend to learn more about the local career and post-secondary educational opportunities. Vocational Rehabilitation is typically present at the event as well. This activity is conducted during a school day; my students look forward to it every year.

In addition to job training in the community during the school year and career exploration in the classroom, I refer my students to various camps or activities over breaks that are run by the school district, agencies or organizations who support individuals with disabilities. The Washoe County School District offers a Community Based Career Exploration Camp in cooperation with the Northern Nevada Center for Independent Living and the Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County. The Amplify Life Program is a local “camp designed to empower the disabled student, by providing insight, knowledge, and tools to help prepare them to embrace their future and navigate young adulthood” (Amplify Life WORKS!, 2018). This will be the first year I will refer students to their two summer sessions. Participants in both camps engage in several activities that support career exploration and development and are intended for students with a wide range of support needs.

As part of one of my courses through the University of Kansas, I was able to arrange an internship for one of my students at a local rehabilitation center. I determined a rehabilitation center or nursing home would be an ideal setting for my student based on completing a Positive Personal Profile. “A Positive Personal Profile is a practical way to ‘take inventory’ of an individual’s attributes that will be relevant to identifying potential work experiences and jobs, as well as later job searches, job matches, job retention, and long-range career development” (Luecking, 2009, p. 46). Once I had identified her interests included taking care of others, I looked for nursing home and rehabilitation centers accessible to her. I contacted potential businesses and facilities, set up a meeting with one location that was receptive to the idea, toured the facility to ensure it would be appropriate for my student, and set up an interview after discussing the option with the student and her mother. My student completed an internship application independently, and reviewed the expectations of the internship with support. She practiced interview questions and discussed the option for her to disclose her disability. I created an agreement for the internship, an individualized support plan for the student, and have maintained contact with the site to monitor student performance and appropriateness of the arrangement. This experience provided me with the tools and skills necessary to expand career development opportunities for my students.