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?
Is this student motivated by getting hired? If not, it may be best to take a few steps back and find the general motivator for the student to continue the job-seeking process (getting paid, developing independence, exercising responsibility?). For the student who is motivated by getting hired, you may need to explain how a thank you letter affects an employer’s decision. Role-plays, social narratives, or reviewing popular movie clips can provide examples of an employer’s response to a well-written thank you letter. Similarly, the effects of a poorly-written thank you letter, or one arriving 3-weeks after an interview, can be illustrated. Connect these employer responses to the likelihood of the writer getting the job. Using exaggerated examples initially can help grab the student’s attention (and bring humor to your instruction), such as showing a thank you letter written on construction paper cut into the shape of a heart that says “I’ll love you if I get the job!”
As you introduce this skill, how will you incorporate (visually, thematically) the student’s unique interests?
Particularly for a student who is not motivated by the hiring process, perhaps you can connect the general concepts of a thank you letter to a personal interest such as a recent birthday gift. Have the student write a thank you letter to his parents or a friend who gave him his favorite gift, applying the rules so they can be easily linked to a professional thank you letter later. For the student who is not inclined to even write a thank you note for a gift, emphasize that people may stop giving gifts if the recipient does not express any gratitude.
Can you make it visually clear to the student who is resistant to writing a thank you letter that his assumption is only one way of looking at things? Can your use of visual supports and self-assessments help get agreement that there is a problem, get agreement on the solution, and create the motivation for change?
One common belief a student may hold regarding a thank you letter is that the cover letter, resume, application, and interview should provide sufficient information for the employer to determine who to hire. This is a rather logical thought, so you will need to provide clarification of how the thank you letter can determine getting hired. For example, use a social narrative to illustrate an employer who is trying to decide between two applicants; he is more likely to hire the one who sends a thank you letter because it shows that the applicant is still interested, professional, and courteous.
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:
"Interviewing - After the Interview"
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?
This is primarily a writing/typing assignment, something that will prove difficult for a student who struggles to maintain attention or remain still and seated. Incorporate interactive, enjoyable activities whenever possible with this topic, such as identifying the “best” versus “worst” thank you letter, drawing a thought comic to which the student can add text to blank thought bubbles, etc.
Before the student attempts to write the thank you letter (or portions of it) how do you help the student prepare? How do you orient him to the materials he will use? How do you activate prior knowledge?
Review examples of thank you letters to activate prior knowledge. Initially, these examples may have the sections highlighted or the appropriate rules pointed out (e.g. name and contact information circled with your boldly written “Don’t forget your name and contact information!”). Also, review the importance of a thank you letter from the perspectives of the student and the employer using thought comics. Incorporating graphic organizers can help the student categorize and arrange information before actually attempting to write the letter, but always remember to teach the student how to use these tools before introducing them in a practice scenario!