The CCP curriculum is all about teaching the students’ job training skills in order for them to obtain employment after graduation. These skills are teaching our students to be independent and capable employees. In order to achieve their goal of gaining employment, we are also training them to be independent and confident. These two skills are not easily practiced with many of our students being over prompted and “helped” by their teachers and paraprofessionals. We are encouraging our teachers and paraprofessionals to pull back some of these promptings in order for our students to help themselves and gain important self-help skills.

During a recent lesson on body language, Victoria tries to convey with an eye roll to her teacher that she wanted to try to do something on her own without help from her teacher. This was a spontaneous, honest and heartfelt response about how our students want the chance to show that they are capable all on their own and an excellent lesson to all of us to not underestimate our independent and capable students!