May 10, 2024 • 20 mins
Show Notes:
Today on the FAST 15, we welcome Jane Singleton, an expert in educational development and coaching with over 12 years of experience. Jane brings a wealth of knowledge in the fields of psychology, communication studies, and special education, having earned her B.S. from James Madison University and an M.A. from the College of William and Mary.
Jane has sought advanced learning opportunities, including The Harvard Institute: The Art of Leadership and executive coaching certification. She applies her experience and knowledge to guide individuals and organizations through successful academic and personal growth.
In this episode, Jane shares her insights into education, coaching, and the journey towards successful transitions for students and individuals in special education. We discuss strategies for building self-determination and self-advocacy, creating inclusive environments, and focusing on strengths.
We also touch on the importance of effective communication between home and school, including best practices for enhancing partnerships between educators and parents.
For more information about Jane Singleton's work and her company, Launchpad for Life, be sure to check the links in the show notes. You can also find her contact information for free consultations on her website.
Connect with Jane Singleton:
- Website: Launchpad for Life
- Email: launchpadlearning4life@gmail.com
Special Thanks:
A heartfelt thank you to our generous sponsors, Specially Designed Education Services, publishers of The Functional Academics Program. Learn more about their comprehensive program that helps students with moderate to severe disabilities improve their ability to live independently at www.sdesworks.com.
Barbara Beck is the host of the FAST 15 Podcast. She is a highly dedicated Disability Advocate and Special Education Consultant specializing in IEP Transition Services. Barbara has an extensive background as a special education teacher spanning nearly 30 years. She has dedicated her career to empowering transition-age youth and fostering positive post-school outcomes.
Barbara's expertise lies in providing comprehensive support and guidance to students with disabilities, ensuring their successful transition from school to adult life. She possesses a deep understanding of secondary services and possesses the skills to develop tailored strategies that maximize individual potential.
For more information and resources on special education school-to-adulthood transition planning and independent living, visit www.mykeyplans.com. Join us on social media for updates, behind-the-scenes content, and discussions about special education, inclusion, and disability advocacy. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn and use #IEPLaunchpadPodcast to join the conversation. Thank you for tuning in to the IEP Launchpad Podcast! 🎧🎙️#IDD #teaching #specialed #specialneeds #InclusionMatters #DisabilityAdvocacy #EmpowerVoices #edtech, #education #edtech, #teachers
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Today on the Fast 15, we welcome Jane Singleton, an
expert in educationaldevelopment and coaching with
over 12 years of experience.
With a strong background inpsychology and communication
studies from James MadisonUniversity and a master's degree
in special education from theCollege of William Mary, Jane
brings a wealth of knowledge toour conversation.
(00:23):
She has also pursued advancedlearning opportunities in
leadership and executivecoaching, enhancing her ability
to guide others.
Join us as we explore Jane'sinsights into education,
coaching and the journey towardsuccessful academic and personal
growth for both students andother champions in the field of
special education both studentsand other champions in the field
(00:45):
of special education.
I'm so excited to welcome JaneSingleton to the Fast 15 today.
Thank you for spending sometime with us, Jane and I was
reading through your information, your bio, and it's so
interesting to me that you'vegot some really cool things
happening with Launchpad forLife and the influence that
(01:06):
you're having with families andhelping young adults with
advocacy and the transitionsthat they go through in life,
and I just wanted a chance tohave the listeners hear a little
bit about you, just basicallyyour role to start off with.
Can you share a little bitabout who you are and what you?
Speaker 2 (01:24):
do, of course, and thank you so much for this
opportunity.
I'm currently in Salt Lake City, utah.
As you mentioned, my company isLaunchpad for Life and I focus
on coaching individuals that areneurodiverse as well as leaders
, and I use my background inspecial education to really
assist with effectivecommunication, cognitive
(01:46):
efficiency as well asself-awareness, which I think is
what you have to start withevery time.
I also do a lot of educationaltrainings and workshops with
organizations as it relates toareas in working with
neurodiverse individuals, and Ihave a background of building
special ed programs from scratchin independent schools.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
That's amazing and from scratch.
That's got to be quite ajourney, and you know to set
something up for students whenthere wasn't anything there and
just the creativity that you canhave.
Right To not be bound to onecertain way of doing things.
Obviously, I have extensiveexperience in coaching families
(02:28):
and individuals through thoselife transitions, and so what
are those key strategies, thoseinsights that you found along
the way, the things that aremost effective in helping
individuals successfullynavigate major educational
transitions?
Speaker 2 (02:46):
successfully navigate major educational transitions.
I think for me, the number onestrategy is that you have to
involve your child in theseconversations and in the
brainstorming session.
Okay, I have worked pre-Kthrough 12th and I never cease
to be surprised by thereflection and innovative ideas
that students themselves come upwith.
And I also think, as we worktogether collaboratively with
(03:06):
families, ultimately it's thestudent that has to engage in
habit change or use a strategy.
And I think kids, as they getolder, they are yearning for
more and more independence.
And I think when we as adultsswoop in and create like I think
unintentionally, if I'm beinghonest these kind of top-down
systems we do and we're tellingthem what to do and how to do it
(03:28):
, then when they feel like theydon't have a voice, they
actually lean more into eitherlearned helplessness and
disengagement or, in theopposite case, they're somewhat
oppositional to the plan that'sbeen put in place.
I think the more we give them avoice and brainstorm and I often
tell parents and teachers I waslike, even if this student
(03:49):
comes up with an idea that youthink, oh, this is, I know where
this is going to head, becausewe have more experience it's so
essential to let them try it.
I say things like great, andwe'll come back together and
reflect right, get them toengage in like executive
functioning and if it doesn'twork, then we're going to
probably have to try somethingelse.
And from there, you'veempowered them to have a voice
(04:12):
and they're learning to trusttheir gut, but they're also
feeling respected, which willempower them to be better
self-advocate Right, and that'sso, so important.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
You know, like you were saying, that prompt
dependency, that learnedhelplessness can really happen
unintentionally when there's alot of fear about you know, oh,
my child or my young adult mightfail.
We don't want them to fail,right, and so we try to help out
.
But our helping doesn't alwayshelp.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
A couple other like insights I think are worth
sharing is, I think, obviously,depending on the age of the
child, engaging in what I callis backwards planning is super
important, because I think it'shard for kids to see the big
picture.
But if you do backwards planningand attach it to let them maybe
where they want to be in twoyears or three years, long-term
(05:01):
goals can look differentdepending on the age of the kid,
and then you can help them seethat these strategies, or even
the transition itself, how it'sa stepping stone to get them to
where they want to be.
And I think it's hard for themto see that unless you actually
do the backwards planning,because they're not thinking
that far ahead.
But of course parents are, andthat's how we build a better
(05:21):
communication system within thefamily unit.
And then the other thing that Ithink is important to note as a
parent or guardian, sometimeswhat you want as the parent or
guardian is going to bedifferent from what your child
wants, and I think how youhandle that will impact the
transition itself in so manydifferent ways.
So a huge piece of my job incoaching is how do I help to
(05:44):
facilitate healthy communicationwithin a family unit, because
it's hard to let go as a parentand build that.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
So I think that's how , through coaching, I'm really
able to facilitate that and theycan become observers in a
different way within thoseconversations You're talking
about buildingself-determination,
self-advocacy, and then you'realso empowering families, and
then how do you help studentsand the families really navigate
(06:13):
those inclusive environments asthose strategies are
implemented?
What do those strategies looklike when you're pursuing
curriculum that needs to befollowed, but in general
education settings and all ofthat inclusion?
What does your work look likeand your protocols in that
aspect?
Speaker 2 (06:33):
I mean I think if there's a misalignment of goals,
it's like finding where thereis common ground and I think
sometimes mean I think ifthere's a misalignment of goals,
it's like finding where thereis common ground and I think
sometimes right, I would saywhen I see the two, it's also
building the self-awarenesswithin the student is important
and I think in the generalcurriculum sometimes, when can
you let go of some things thatdon't have to be perfect, like
if maybe math is never going tobe the best, like it's always
(06:55):
going to be the Achilles heel,and how can we move forward and
how can we also be feedingstrength and leaning into that
without like preventing the kidfrom being able to be proud of
themselves holistically?
I think we have to be carefulnot to nitpick and really honor
small wins as we go along andunderstand that I think
behavioral and habit change.
(07:15):
If you look at all the research, not just for kids, for adults,
it takes a long time and so howdo we celebrate and keep
motivation up and self-esteemand you have to acknowledge
those small wins and I thinkit's okay to talk futuristically
, right School, we don't have totake all these subjects for
like the rest of our lives, andonce you are able to specialize
(07:38):
and work more in your lane ofstrengths, life changes.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
That is so good, and focusing on strengths is
critical to the success of allteam members as we plan for the
future, and especially ourstudents.
And speaking of the future, Iwant to take a moment to make
sure that all of our listenersare getting ready and excited
for the launch of someincredibly innovative and
intuitive tools that FunctionalAcademics is bringing to
(08:05):
students and IEP teams in just afew months.
If you're not already aware ofwhat Functional Academics has to
offer, make sure you check outtheir website and be sure to
subscribe to the Fast 15 so thatyou don't miss out on their
incredible offering.
Let's hear a bit from them now.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
Functional Academics by SDES's collaborative work
with educators and families,just like you, provides an
in-depth understanding of yourneeds in the community we serve.
You've asked, we listen, it'scoming.
Stay tuned with more to come atSDESworkscom.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
One of the things that I love most about SDES is
that they are dedicated to us asspecial educators to provide
tools that are actuallymeaningful and relevant to what
we're experiencing in theclassroom.
They create content that is byteachers for teachers, and they
truly value perspective andlisten.
Let's continue to listen toJane Singleton as she shares her
(09:06):
perspective as a champion inthe field.
I'm really interested in yourperspective with executive
functioning and building thoseskills.
I work with a lot of studentsout in general ed settings and a
lot of times the success reallycenters around executive
functioning.
Are you able to identify a goaland move toward it, like you're
(09:28):
saying, breaking it down in thesmall steps, the small wins to
get to where we want students togo and having them be in charge
of that movement, without theimposing general ed teacher,
special ed teacher and parents?
How do we really focus in ondeveloping those executive
(09:48):
functioning skills with ouryoung adults?
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Well, when I'm coaching around executive
functioning, I start withself-awareness.
I don't think you can make agood goal or achievable goal
unless you have self-awarenessof how you're impacted where
you're at right now and seewhere those barriers impact you
from getting to where you wantto be.
(10:12):
So, again, the theory and likeart of coaching to me is is
active inquiry, and activeinquiry isn't telling, but
rather asking the rightquestions so that my clients can
see the patterns in theirbehavior instead of thinking of
them as isolated incidents.
So a client might come up withlike right, I'm so stressed out
(10:33):
all the time.
And then I was like, okay, whatare you stressed out about?
And then they start to namethese things that they think are
isolated.
But the theme is maybe timemanagement or the theme is right
, they're constantly franticbecause they're always behind
and they don't actually have astrategy in place.
And so, through that right, wehave to empower them where they
(10:53):
do have ownership.
They have ownership in thestrategies and structures they
put in place.
They don't have control overwhether their boss gives them
too many assignments, right?
So you have to figure out whereyou can control those things.
And then the second importantstep still goes back to creating
space for them to develop thestrategies, the coaching
philosophy.
(11:14):
For sure is that I believeevery individual that's facing
the problem is the person that'sbest equipped to solve those
problems and come up with areasonable strategy for them.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Because what we each do, we have different systems
that work for our ownpersonalities and our own
lifestyle, and everybody isjuggling different balls in that
way, right and it has to besustainable over a long period
of time, right, and, like you'resaying, it has to come from the
(11:46):
self-awareness and building theself-esteem, so that they are
confident and see where thethread through of all of those
patterns, like you were saying,it's not just in school, it's
not just an isolated incident.
You're you were talking aboutpatterns that affect home life,
school life, work life, all ofthose things.
And then teaching thosefunctional and executive
(12:09):
functioning skills to beestablished on their own in
small little incremental steps.
That's awesome.
I love that kind of coaching.
Can you give one specificexample, without giving away
names or anything like that?
But is there anything thatcomes to mind as a success, a
(12:30):
win with a family or a studentin particular, that you can kind
of like put on display for us?
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Okay.
So what's coming to mind for menow is a family I worked with
and was hired.
One of the goals of thecoaching was to be able to come
to a decision around if collegeor working would be the best way
forward.
And in the end I think,misalignment right.
The parents really for goodreason, the parents really
(12:58):
wanted their child to be incollege for X, Y and Z reasons.
But where the young adult wasin taking advantage of the
supports in place, they weren'tnecessarily emotionally ready
for those aspects.
So it wasn't about hey, I canput all of these things in front
of you, but if you're not readyto use them, then it's not
(13:19):
going to make a difference.
And so I think, throughfacilitating that conversation,
I was able to one redirect andwhen I asked the question, I
wanted my client, the youngadult, to answer instead of the
parent answering for them, andso I was like so again, you
can't.
If it were just the two of them, that would have never been
able to happen.
But I was able to say, okay, Iwant, please let him answer this
(13:42):
question.
And then, through likelistening and facilitation, the
dad was like oh, my gosh, you'reright.
So it doesn't matter, becausethis is where he's at, and I
think that goes back to reallyunderstanding.
When we talk about meeting a kidor meeting a young adult where
they're at, it always goes backto SMART goals.
Is it achievable?
(14:03):
Are we constantly putting ourkid in positions where it's one
more thing that they fail at andthink about those layers over
time?
And so the pacing needs to beat the pace of the abilities of
that kid in that moment, Becauseif they don't feel success,
that deeply impacts motivation,that deeply impacts self-esteem
(14:24):
and, of course, all those'rereally in that last question
just really highlighted theimportance of effective
communication with home andschool, that parent connection
that teachers can have.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
It's just vital to student successes.
So can you share just a fewmore insights on best practices
from your perspective?
Best practices from yourperspective Appreciative inquiry
is something that you calledout.
I want to know more about that.
Can you help us understand,from your perspective,
appreciative inquiry and howthat can enhance communication
(15:04):
channels between educators andparents?
What role does positivecommunication play in fostering
that collective partnershipRight?
Speaker 2 (15:15):
So I think a little bit with the self-awareness
piece with appreciative inquiryis that I just want to
acknowledge for parents, forteachers definitely as a special
educator, I think there can.
There's a lot of internalpressure, a lot of pressure we
put on ourselves to feel likeyou need to have all the answers
and rush to solutions.
Right, because usually it'semotional.
(15:35):
For sure, emotions are highwhen a student is struggling,
and I think it's so important.
The reason I like appreciativeinquiry is because it requires
that we validate and are morecurious in approaching difficult
conversations that have highemotion.
So to me, appreciative inquiryvalidates feelings and frames
(15:55):
questions in a way that guidenegative energy into productive
or solution-based thinking.
So I'll give you an exampleright, you have a tense meeting.
Right, and again, as a teacher,when people are coming at you,
right, whether the parent feelsattacked by the teacher for not
doing enough or vice versa, weneed to acknowledge.
Right, you'd say you're upset,that means you care.
Tell me more about thiscommitment and, like what you do
(16:19):
, care about.
Right, we're asking questions,we're validating, we're
observing and then from therethe hope is we'll get more to
the root of what the parent orthe teacher really cares about
in that moment.
Another example would be likeyou sound really overwhelmed,
but also unhappy with thecurrent status.
What's one small step you thinkwould be good to move forward?
(16:41):
So it's simple, but it includes, like the validation of
feelings, and I think that thesequestion techniques allow
people to feel that you want tobuild partnership and that one
person's opinion isn't betterthan the others.
And again it shows this likeolive branch of like I don't
have all the answers, and likeworking together collaboratively
(17:03):
, we're likely to come up likewith the best solution.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
And like your seat at the table is just as important
as mine, right, and Jane, Ican't think of an IEP case
manager that doesn't feel sodeeply, you know, for their
students.
They want success for theirstudents but they're often so
intimidated or scared of thatpartnership, knowing that maybe
the parent isn't happy withwhat's happening in the
(17:29):
classroom or with theprogramming that you're putting
in place.
And I love that strategy thatyou described because you know
it focuses on the question.
It validates where the other iscoming from right and the
pathway to move forward throughit.
There's something tangible thatyou're describing to actually
(17:50):
be able to do, to navigate thosedifficult conversations, to
actually be able to do tonavigate those difficult
conversations.
And, yep, I really appreciatethat.
How can our listeners find outmore about your work and what
you're doing if they want tosomehow work with you or
navigate to?
We just want people to knowabout Launchpad for Life.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
My website has a plethora of information on there
.
I offer free 20-minuteconsultations because I think
fit's important.
I'm not here to like take onclients that I don't think I can
help, so I do.
They're welcome to contact methrough my website or through my
email directly.
Those are the best ways forcontact.
(18:30):
My phone number is also on mywebsite if that's easier.
But they reach out and knowthat I do do free consultations
just to see okay, is this a goodfit?
And so it's clear how I canhelp.
So we have a guide for reallywhat the contract for coaching
is.
What are the North Stars?
What are we really working on?
So I clarify that in thosecalls.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
Sounds good and we'll make sure that all of those
links are in the show notes.
So if you're listening and wantmore information about
Launchpad for Life, make sureyou get to the show notes and
get those links and make thoseconnections.
And well, Jane, this is such aprivilege to get a chance to
talk to you.
Thank you for your time todayand for just your positive
(19:10):
approach to working withfamilies and navigating those
transitions into life throughand after high school.
Really appreciate it Wonderful.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
Thank you so much for the opportunity.
I really enjoyed theconversation.
You're welcome.
Take care, we'll talk soon.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
All right Bye.
A heartfelt thank you to ourgenerous sponsors, Specially
Designed Education Services.
Publishers of the FunctionalAcademics Program, Please take a
moment to learn more about theonly true comprehensive
functional academics programthat enables students with
moderate to severe disabilitiesto improve their ability to live
(19:46):
independently and showmeaningful growth both
academically and personally,while creating accountability
with data-driven, evidence-basedresults.
Visit SDESWorkscom to learnmore.
Today on the Fast 15, we welcome Jane Singleton, an
expert in educationaldevelopment and coaching with
over 12 years of experience.
With a strong background inpsychology and communication
studies from James MadisonUniversity and a master's degree
in special education from theCollege of William Mary, Jane
brings a wealth of knowledge toour conversation.
(00:23):
She has also pursued advancedlearning opportunities in
leadership and executivecoaching, enhancing her ability
to guide others.
Join us as we explore Jane'sinsights into education,
coaching and the journey towardsuccessful academic and personal
growth for both students andother champions in the field of
special education both studentsand other champions in the field
(00:45):
of special education.
I'm so excited to welcome JaneSingleton to the Fast 15 today.
Thank you for spending sometime with us, Jane and I was
reading through your information, your bio, and it's so
interesting to me that you'vegot some really cool things
happening with Launchpad forLife and the influence that
(01:06):
you're having with families andhelping young adults with
advocacy and the transitionsthat they go through in life,
and I just wanted a chance tohave the listeners hear a little
bit about you, just basicallyyour role to start off with.
Can you share a little bitabout who you are and what you?
Speaker 2 (01:24):
do, of course, and thank you so much for this
opportunity.
I'm currently in Salt Lake City, utah.
As you mentioned, my company isLaunchpad for Life and I focus
on coaching individuals that areneurodiverse as well as leaders
, and I use my background inspecial education to really
assist with effectivecommunication, cognitive
(01:46):
efficiency as well asself-awareness, which I think is
what you have to start withevery time.
I also do a lot of educationaltrainings and workshops with
organizations as it relates toareas in working with
neurodiverse individuals, and Ihave a background of building
special ed programs from scratchin independent schools.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
That's amazing and from scratch.
That's got to be quite ajourney, and you know to set
something up for students whenthere wasn't anything there and
just the creativity that you canhave.
Right To not be bound to onecertain way of doing things.
Obviously, I have extensiveexperience in coaching families
(02:28):
and individuals through thoselife transitions, and so what
are those key strategies, thoseinsights that you found along
the way, the things that aremost effective in helping
individuals successfullynavigate major educational
transitions?
Speaker 2 (02:46):
successfully navigate major educational transitions.
I think for me, the number onestrategy is that you have to
involve your child in theseconversations and in the
brainstorming session.
Okay, I have worked pre-Kthrough 12th and I never cease
to be surprised by thereflection and innovative ideas
that students themselves come upwith.
And I also think, as we worktogether collaboratively with
(03:06):
families, ultimately it's thestudent that has to engage in
habit change or use a strategy.
And I think kids, as they getolder, they are yearning for
more and more independence.
And I think when we as adultsswoop in and create like I think
unintentionally, if I'm beinghonest these kind of top-down
systems we do and we're tellingthem what to do and how to do it
(03:28):
, then when they feel like theydon't have a voice, they
actually lean more into eitherlearned helplessness and
disengagement or, in theopposite case, they're somewhat
oppositional to the plan that'sbeen put in place.
I think the more we give them avoice and brainstorm and I often
tell parents and teachers I waslike, even if this student
(03:49):
comes up with an idea that youthink, oh, this is, I know where
this is going to head, becausewe have more experience it's so
essential to let them try it.
I say things like great, andwe'll come back together and
reflect right, get them toengage in like executive
functioning and if it doesn'twork, then we're going to
probably have to try somethingelse.
And from there, you'veempowered them to have a voice
(04:12):
and they're learning to trusttheir gut, but they're also
feeling respected, which willempower them to be better
self-advocate Right, and that'sso, so important.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
You know, like you were saying, that prompt
dependency, that learnedhelplessness can really happen
unintentionally when there's alot of fear about you know, oh,
my child or my young adult mightfail.
We don't want them to fail,right, and so we try to help out
.
But our helping doesn't alwayshelp.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
A couple other like insights I think are worth
sharing is, I think, obviously,depending on the age of the
child, engaging in what I callis backwards planning is super
important, because I think it'shard for kids to see the big
picture.
But if you do backwards planningand attach it to let them maybe
where they want to be in twoyears or three years, long-term
(05:01):
goals can look differentdepending on the age of the kid,
and then you can help them seethat these strategies, or even
the transition itself, how it'sa stepping stone to get them to
where they want to be.
And I think it's hard for themto see that unless you actually
do the backwards planning,because they're not thinking
that far ahead.
But of course parents are, andthat's how we build a better
(05:21):
communication system within thefamily unit.
And then the other thing that Ithink is important to note as a
parent or guardian, sometimeswhat you want as the parent or
guardian is going to bedifferent from what your child
wants, and I think how youhandle that will impact the
transition itself in so manydifferent ways.
So a huge piece of my job incoaching is how do I help to
(05:44):
facilitate healthy communicationwithin a family unit, because
it's hard to let go as a parentand build that.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
So I think that's how , through coaching, I'm really
able to facilitate that and theycan become observers in a
different way within thoseconversations You're talking
about buildingself-determination,
self-advocacy, and then you'realso empowering families, and
then how do you help studentsand the families really navigate
(06:13):
those inclusive environments asthose strategies are
implemented?
What do those strategies looklike when you're pursuing
curriculum that needs to befollowed, but in general
education settings and all ofthat inclusion?
What does your work look likeand your protocols in that
aspect?
Speaker 2 (06:33):
I mean I think if there's a misalignment of goals,
it's like finding where thereis common ground and I think
sometimes mean I think ifthere's a misalignment of goals,
it's like finding where thereis common ground and I think
sometimes right, I would saywhen I see the two, it's also
building the self-awarenesswithin the student is important
and I think in the generalcurriculum sometimes, when can
you let go of some things thatdon't have to be perfect, like
if maybe math is never going tobe the best, like it's always
(06:55):
going to be the Achilles heel,and how can we move forward and
how can we also be feedingstrength and leaning into that
without like preventing the kidfrom being able to be proud of
themselves holistically?
I think we have to be carefulnot to nitpick and really honor
small wins as we go along andunderstand that I think
behavioral and habit change.
(07:15):
If you look at all the research, not just for kids, for adults,
it takes a long time and so howdo we celebrate and keep
motivation up and self-esteemand you have to acknowledge
those small wins and I thinkit's okay to talk futuristically
, right School, we don't have totake all these subjects for
like the rest of our lives, andonce you are able to specialize
(07:38):
and work more in your lane ofstrengths, life changes.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
That is so good, and focusing on strengths is
critical to the success of allteam members as we plan for the
future, and especially ourstudents.
And speaking of the future, Iwant to take a moment to make
sure that all of our listenersare getting ready and excited
for the launch of someincredibly innovative and
intuitive tools that FunctionalAcademics is bringing to
(08:05):
students and IEP teams in just afew months.
If you're not already aware ofwhat Functional Academics has to
offer, make sure you check outtheir website and be sure to
subscribe to the Fast 15 so thatyou don't miss out on their
incredible offering.
Let's hear a bit from them now.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
Functional Academics by SDES's collaborative work
with educators and families,just like you, provides an
in-depth understanding of yourneeds in the community we serve.
You've asked, we listen, it'scoming.
Stay tuned with more to come atSDESworkscom.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
One of the things that I love most about SDES is
that they are dedicated to us asspecial educators to provide
tools that are actuallymeaningful and relevant to what
we're experiencing in theclassroom.
They create content that is byteachers for teachers, and they
truly value perspective andlisten.
Let's continue to listen toJane Singleton as she shares her
(09:06):
perspective as a champion inthe field.
I'm really interested in yourperspective with executive
functioning and building thoseskills.
I work with a lot of studentsout in general ed settings and a
lot of times the success reallycenters around executive
functioning.
Are you able to identify a goaland move toward it, like you're
(09:28):
saying, breaking it down in thesmall steps, the small wins to
get to where we want students togo and having them be in charge
of that movement, without theimposing general ed teacher,
special ed teacher and parents?
How do we really focus in ondeveloping those executive
(09:48):
functioning skills with ouryoung adults?
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Well, when I'm coaching around executive
functioning, I start withself-awareness.
I don't think you can make agood goal or achievable goal
unless you have self-awarenessof how you're impacted where
you're at right now and seewhere those barriers impact you
from getting to where you wantto be.
(10:12):
So, again, the theory and likeart of coaching to me is is
active inquiry, and activeinquiry isn't telling, but
rather asking the rightquestions so that my clients can
see the patterns in theirbehavior instead of thinking of
them as isolated incidents.
So a client might come up withlike right, I'm so stressed out
(10:33):
all the time.
And then I was like, okay, whatare you stressed out about?
And then they start to namethese things that they think are
isolated.
But the theme is maybe timemanagement or the theme is right
, they're constantly franticbecause they're always behind
and they don't actually have astrategy in place.
And so, through that right, wehave to empower them where they
(10:53):
do have ownership.
They have ownership in thestrategies and structures they
put in place.
They don't have control overwhether their boss gives them
too many assignments, right?
So you have to figure out whereyou can control those things.
And then the second importantstep still goes back to creating
space for them to develop thestrategies, the coaching
philosophy.
(11:14):
For sure is that I believeevery individual that's facing
the problem is the person that'sbest equipped to solve those
problems and come up with areasonable strategy for them.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Because what we each do, we have different systems
that work for our ownpersonalities and our own
lifestyle, and everybody isjuggling different balls in that
way, right and it has to besustainable over a long period
of time, right, and, like you'resaying, it has to come from the
(11:46):
self-awareness and building theself-esteem, so that they are
confident and see where thethread through of all of those
patterns, like you were saying,it's not just in school, it's
not just an isolated incident.
You're you were talking aboutpatterns that affect home life,
school life, work life, all ofthose things.
And then teaching thosefunctional and executive
(12:09):
functioning skills to beestablished on their own in
small little incremental steps.
That's awesome.
I love that kind of coaching.
Can you give one specificexample, without giving away
names or anything like that?
But is there anything thatcomes to mind as a success, a
(12:30):
win with a family or a studentin particular, that you can kind
of like put on display for us?
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Okay.
So what's coming to mind for menow is a family I worked with
and was hired.
One of the goals of thecoaching was to be able to come
to a decision around if collegeor working would be the best way
forward.
And in the end I think,misalignment right.
The parents really for goodreason, the parents really
(12:58):
wanted their child to be incollege for X, Y and Z reasons.
But where the young adult wasin taking advantage of the
supports in place, they weren'tnecessarily emotionally ready
for those aspects.
So it wasn't about hey, I canput all of these things in front
of you, but if you're not readyto use them, then it's not
(13:19):
going to make a difference.
And so I think, throughfacilitating that conversation,
I was able to one redirect andwhen I asked the question, I
wanted my client, the youngadult, to answer instead of the
parent answering for them, andso I was like so again, you
can't.
If it were just the two of them, that would have never been
able to happen.
But I was able to say, okay, Iwant, please let him answer this
(13:42):
question.
And then, through likelistening and facilitation, the
dad was like oh, my gosh, you'reright.
So it doesn't matter, becausethis is where he's at, and I
think that goes back to reallyunderstanding.
When we talk about meeting a kidor meeting a young adult where
they're at, it always goes backto SMART goals.
Is it achievable?
(14:03):
Are we constantly putting ourkid in positions where it's one
more thing that they fail at andthink about those layers over
time?
And so the pacing needs to beat the pace of the abilities of
that kid in that moment, Becauseif they don't feel success,
that deeply impacts motivation,that deeply impacts self-esteem
(14:24):
and, of course, all those'rereally in that last question
just really highlighted theimportance of effective
communication with home andschool, that parent connection
that teachers can have.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
It's just vital to student successes.
So can you share just a fewmore insights on best practices
from your perspective?
Best practices from yourperspective Appreciative inquiry
is something that you calledout.
I want to know more about that.
Can you help us understand,from your perspective,
appreciative inquiry and howthat can enhance communication
(15:04):
channels between educators andparents?
What role does positivecommunication play in fostering
that collective partnershipRight?
Speaker 2 (15:15):
So I think a little bit with the self-awareness
piece with appreciative inquiryis that I just want to
acknowledge for parents, forteachers definitely as a special
educator, I think there can.
There's a lot of internalpressure, a lot of pressure we
put on ourselves to feel likeyou need to have all the answers
and rush to solutions.
Right, because usually it'semotional.
(15:35):
For sure, emotions are highwhen a student is struggling,
and I think it's so important.
The reason I like appreciativeinquiry is because it requires
that we validate and are morecurious in approaching difficult
conversations that have highemotion.
So to me, appreciative inquiryvalidates feelings and frames
(15:55):
questions in a way that guidenegative energy into productive
or solution-based thinking.
So I'll give you an exampleright, you have a tense meeting.
Right, and again, as a teacher,when people are coming at you,
right, whether the parent feelsattacked by the teacher for not
doing enough or vice versa, weneed to acknowledge.
Right, you'd say you're upset,that means you care.
Tell me more about thiscommitment and, like what you do
(16:19):
, care about.
Right, we're asking questions,we're validating, we're
observing and then from therethe hope is we'll get more to
the root of what the parent orthe teacher really cares about
in that moment.
Another example would be likeyou sound really overwhelmed,
but also unhappy with thecurrent status.
What's one small step you thinkwould be good to move forward?
(16:41):
So it's simple, but it includes, like the validation of
feelings, and I think that thesequestion techniques allow
people to feel that you want tobuild partnership and that one
person's opinion isn't betterthan the others.
And again it shows this likeolive branch of like I don't
have all the answers, and likeworking together collaboratively
(17:03):
, we're likely to come up likewith the best solution.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
And like your seat at the table is just as important
as mine, right, and Jane, Ican't think of an IEP case
manager that doesn't feel sodeeply, you know, for their
students.
They want success for theirstudents but they're often so
intimidated or scared of thatpartnership, knowing that maybe
the parent isn't happy withwhat's happening in the
(17:29):
classroom or with theprogramming that you're putting
in place.
And I love that strategy thatyou described because you know
it focuses on the question.
It validates where the other iscoming from right and the
pathway to move forward throughit.
There's something tangible thatyou're describing to actually
(17:50):
be able to do, to navigate thosedifficult conversations, to
actually be able to do tonavigate those difficult
conversations.
And, yep, I really appreciatethat.
How can our listeners find outmore about your work and what
you're doing if they want tosomehow work with you or
navigate to?
We just want people to knowabout Launchpad for Life.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
My website has a plethora of information on there
.
I offer free 20-minuteconsultations because I think
fit's important.
I'm not here to like take onclients that I don't think I can
help, so I do.
They're welcome to contact methrough my website or through my
email directly.
Those are the best ways forcontact.
(18:30):
My phone number is also on mywebsite if that's easier.
But they reach out and knowthat I do do free consultations
just to see okay, is this a goodfit?
And so it's clear how I canhelp.
So we have a guide for reallywhat the contract for coaching
is.
What are the North Stars?
What are we really working on?
So I clarify that in thosecalls.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
Sounds good and we'll make sure that all of those
links are in the show notes.
So if you're listening and wantmore information about
Launchpad for Life, make sureyou get to the show notes and
get those links and make thoseconnections.
And well, Jane, this is such aprivilege to get a chance to
talk to you.
Thank you for your time todayand for just your positive
(19:10):
approach to working withfamilies and navigating those
transitions into life throughand after high school.
Really appreciate it Wonderful.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
Thank you so much for the opportunity.
I really enjoyed theconversation.
You're welcome.
Take care, we'll talk soon.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
All right Bye.
A heartfelt thank you to ourgenerous sponsors, Specially
Designed Education Services.
Publishers of the FunctionalAcademics Program, Please take a
moment to learn more about theonly true comprehensive
functional academics programthat enables students with
moderate to severe disabilitiesto improve their ability to live
(19:46):
independently and showmeaningful growth both
academically and personally,while creating accountability
with data-driven, evidence-basedresults.
Visit SDESWorkscom to learnmore.
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