I’ve Given Birth!!
It’s LIVE!!! I have given birth!!!
No, I wasn’t pregnant and no, it’s not a human baby.
I’ve given birth to a new website, an embodiment of my life mission. I don’t know any other way to describe the process I’ve been going through -- it’s been a two month gestational period.
In late September, I realized it was time to make a decision. Am I doing a little consulting on the side while I’m phasing down to full retirement? Do I view my work and my business as a hobby or something more? I did a lot of soul searching; I talked it over with Robert on many late afternoon dog walks; and I sought higher wisdom. I surrounded myself with powerful coaches who served as midwives in the process.
The haze lifted and my answer became crystal clear. This isn’t a hobby for me; it never was.
When I was a beginning middle school English teacher in 1970, I couldn’t rest until I had figured out how to help the 7th grade non-reader in my class.
When I was a special educator, I couldn’t rest until I had set up support systems for students struggling with learning disabilities and ADHD and all their self-defeating beliefs about their own ability.
When I was a transition coordinator, I couldn’t rest until students I supervised on job sites were able to advocate for themselves.
When I sat uncomfortably at an IEP table as a parent, I couldn’t rest until we published guidelines for building empowering partnerships with families.
When I was the Maryland Transition Specialist, I couldn’t rest until transition coordinators across the state had knowledge and tools to effectively create local systems of support for transitioning youth and their families.
When I was the Special Education Graduate Director at Towson University, I couldn’t rest until we had incorporated all the special ed competencies into our courses and each teacher candidate was prepared for a future of impacting lives.
When I was the University of Delaware Inclusion Specialist, I couldn’t rest until we created a system of professional development to increase the effectiveness of co-teachers and school leaders were prepared with high expectations for instruction.
So how could I think that I’m ready to rest now? In spite of all those commitments, time and again, my influence fell short of my vision. I’m discouraged to report that the employment of adults with disabilities in this country is still flat-lined at 20%. I’m alarmed by the number of teachers (especially special educators) who resign.
So, there’s more work to do! My Joyful Inclusion packages are working in the pilot schools. Teachers develop new collaborative skills and their own creative approaches for co-teaching. They learn how to identify individual student’s driving needs and implement evidence-based strategies in the form of specially designed instruction. They partner with families and empower students to take ownership for their own learning process.
It is time to broadcast my message to the world. But I struggled with the words. How do I describe what I offer? More importantly, how do I describe what’s possible for schools? for teachers? for students and their families?
With the help of Claire, my amazing web designer and some other marketing coaches, I’ve answered those questions.
