How can you connect this new skill to the student’s priorities? How can you assure ownership by making the development of this skill the student’s goal rather than just your goal for the student?
The student needs to see the relevance of this task to his own life. What are this student’s career goals, post-secondary educational goals, independent living goals, etc.? How and when might a reference be required to pursue these goals?
As you introduce this skill, how will you incorporate (visually, thematically) the student’s unique interests?
Selecting references is difficult as it relies on an individual’s judgment of the “type” and “quality” of his relationship with someone else. Try using one of the student’s favorite TV or movie characters to demonstrate the process of reference selection from third-person. For example, work from the perspective of Neo (from The Matrix) to list characters as “friends,” “co-workers/bosses,” “family,” “teachers”, etc. Then examine the characteristics of each (using a set of visual questions) to identify which represent “good references” for Neo.
Can you make it visually clear to the student who is resistant that his or her assumption is only one way of looking at things?
Especially for a student who is generally cautious of social interaction, this skill may create anxiety due to the demands of identifying and describing teachers, supervisors, co- workers, etc. The student may not have many successful academic, vocational, and / or extracurricular experiences from which to choose. It is important to maintain a positive focus in this situation to help the individual explore any potential references. You might provide examples of your own experiences during high school or early adulthood, and use a visual checklist of characteristics to identify individuals who met the criteria for “good reference.”
A student may be hesitant to recognize his accomplishments and skills, especially how others perceive his abilities. Perhaps he greatly overestimates his favor with a previous supervisor, or alternately underestimates the positive perception of an instructor. For either situation, it is important to concretely express that references are those people who view the student positively and will offer support for his advancement. A “social map organizer,” combined with visual reminder cues, may help clarify these concepts (see Graphic Organizers, Visual Cues).
Priming is a form of negotiation that can reframe and sharpen a student’s assessment of self. Below are the self-assessment tools that align with this intervention topic:
Looking for a Job – References
Interspersal is a proven technique involving the presentation of familiar, higher success tasks with the new, more challenging task. When it is appropriate, are you varying the activities to maintain the student’s confidence and focus?
Before the student encounters a situation where he will need to evaluate his relationships with people in order to identify potential references, how do you help the student prepare? How do you orient the student to the upcoming situation?