Ava Wahl
As the last semester came to an end,Woodinville HS students reflected on all they had taken away from their first semester classes. One course came to mind: peer coaching. The peer coaching program allows students in general education to assist students with disabilities in the Functional Skills and Academics (FSA) department. Peer coaching is a CTE elective and is open to all students. It is a wonderful opportunity to make new friends and expand your skill set.
“It’s been a blessing to see how our neurodivergent children work so well with our neurotypical students,” says Amy Stringham, who started working at WHS as a paraeducator this year. When asked about how working in the special education department impacts her, Stringham said, “I smile everyday with these kids…I happened upon this and fell in love with it. It helped open my eyes to the fact that I’m not alone in my struggles.”
“When I first started I was really nervous,” Elisia Salvadalena, a peer coach for two years, admits. “but as the days went by, I was able to get really comfortable with the people in the class.”
Anna Shell, a senior student in the FSA classroom, expresses her gratitude for the program. “It’s fun. I love it. They help me with my work, and when I’m not happy.”
“Me and [Logan] always play, like, games and stuff,” Jake Brittingham, a freshman in the FSA classroom, explains. He thinks Logan is ‘the best peer coach ever.’
Ms. Katherine Smith, who went to Woodinville HS and now teaches FSA here, explains the impact the program had on her in high school. She says, ‘“My peers in the FSA program ignited a passion within me that I never knew I had, and inspired me to pursue a career where I get to work with individuals with disabilities. Now that I am a teacher in the FSA department, I find great joy in watching peer coaches connect with their peers and build positive relationships both inside and outside the classroom.”
Peer coaching can lay the foundations for lasting friendships and experiences. Anna Shell highlights the relationships she’s formed with her peer coaches over the years: “I’ve known them [since] elementary school…I see everyone everyday almost.”
WHS Junior Isabelle Cobbley, who started peer coaching in middle school, tells me, “I love working with the students so much and I learn something new every day…I am even considering choosing it as my career to study in college!”
My own experience with the class has been eye-opening and unforgettable, and I cherish the memories with all my heart. In peer coaching, I learned valuable lessons of patience, acceptance, and most importantly, the impact my own actions can have on others.
Unfortunately, peer coaching gets little recognition, and few students take the class. Many view peer coaching as uncomfortable or even scary, a world they dare not enter. Even others see it as an “easy-A” and not a worthy learning experience.
“I say just do it, honestly. It’s actually very enjoyable,” says Shelby O’Leary, a freshman who started peer coaching this semester.
Isabelle Cobbley believes the class has much more to offer than what most students may think.
“To be a peer coach is more than just getting an A that will look good on a report card. It gives you skills to help you in the real world, especially if you are looking to become an educator in the future…so for anyone saying it’s an easy A, I would reconsider that statement, because it’s not easy to be a peer coach. But you will take away a whole lot from the experience.”
Peer coaching has changed the lives of students for the better in oh-so many ways. Even so, more should be done to foster inclusivity and understanding between students in FSA and general education.
Jake Pirollo, who started working as a part-time paraeducator this year, reflects on his experience. “It’s made me realize how similar the students in the special education department are to the kids in general education. It may seem like a whole different world, but it’s really not a whole different world.”
Ms. Smith and the paraeducators in her classroom stress that more inclusion is needed at WHS. Jake says, “[We] want the kids [in the special ed department] to work with the other kids much more. The school doesn’t give a lot of opportunities for FSA students to participate in integrated activities. They’re in a whole separate building, treated as a whole separate group.”
Peer coaching serves as a way for students to bridge that gap, and inspires them to advocate for other students and look beyond their differences. Our abilities should not define us; every student is more than a label.
“As Temple Grandin said, ‘the world needs all kinds of minds’,” says Ms. Smith. “The ways in which we learn or communicate have nothing to do with how brilliant we are.”
We as a student body must make an effort to create a space where all students cooperate and learn from one another. Peer coaching is an opportunity to take a step in the right direction and a reminder that we are more alike than different. We must work together to make the world a better place.
There’s only one world, after all.
