IPS is a class like no other.
IPS — or Interpersonal skills — consists of a variety of students, including some who struggle with everyday communication skills and other students who serve as examples.
“We try to bring people from different backgrounds together so they can learn from each other and learn to work together,” said Jake Thibodeau, who teaches in the school’s autism program. “Hopefully, [students] take that outside of the class and through their actions, and maybe through their words, try to make changes to the culture of the school.”
The class aims to do so through focusing on communication and leadership skills.
The typical weekly schedule consists of weekend updates and an introduction to a new unit on Mondays followed by more instruction and activities relating to the unit on Tuesdays. Wednesdays are community-based instruction days when the class goes on field trips. Fridays are leisure activity days consisting of sports or board games.
“Some of our kids don’t have a lot of peer involvement outside of their classes in school,” said Susie Micka, who co-teaches IPS with Thibodeau. “This is a place and an opportunity for them to go play basketball or games with friends or do an art project — things that a lot of teenagers would tend to do on their own anyway.”
Thibodeau believes these activities provide different opportunities than students normally experience.
“By building this teamwork and these personal relationships, we’re trying to give access to different parts of the school that some of our kids with special needs don’t necessarily get,” Thibodeau said.
Because of its laid-back atmosphere, the feel of IPS class differs from the typical classroom environment.
“I feel way more comfortable with everyone in this class because it isn’t a stressful or working environment like a usual classroom,” junior Mackenzie Owens said. “We all can joke around and treat each other like best friends.”
For the first time, IPS became a year-long class this year, giving students more opportunities to connect with those they wouldn’t necessarily get to know.
“My favorite part of this class is building relationships with the students in this class and seeing them warm up to us,” Owens said. “By second semester, I really feel like I can connect to everyone.”
Senior Victoria VanAlstine agrees the class fosters new connections.
“It helps me make new friends and not be so shy,” she said.
Thibodeau and Micka hope students use the skills used in these friendships to reach their goal for the class.
“One of our biggest goals, and the thing that we hope that if nothing else they carry forward with them, is compassion for others,” Micka said. “That ability to think about some one else’s needs before thinking about their own is the ultimate goal.”
Students have taken large strides toward reaching this goal. Some that struggle with communication or have severe anxiety about meeting new people are now volunteering responses and conversation topics, inviting people to do things, jumping into games and even organizing games.
“It’s been very surprising to watch that growth take place, especially at this age,” Micka said. “To see that kind of growth has been incredible.”
Students have also shown growth in their ability to communicate.
“One of the biggest things we want is for them to be able to advocate for themselves,” Thibodeau said. “We’ve seen some of our kids grow in that area a lot. [Some students] come in and they don’t have that ability to say what their wants and needs and dreams and desires are because so many times, [for] people with special needs, decisions are made for them. We teach them how to make choices for themselves and it gives them a voice to be able to express those wants and desires.”
There also have been evident changes in the students without special needs, even though “they didn’t really expect that they would be learning anything,” Micka said.
Through an activity where the class had to interview college students for a survey, “some of the students were shocked to realize that they were more shy and more inhibited to fulfill the requirements — to go up and ask someone a couple questions,” Micka said. “They learned about some of that courage and dropping those inhibitions from their classmates.”
Owens agrees the class also generates some self discovery.
“This class has been more about learning about myself,” she said.
Students have also been challenging their immediate reactions to things and improving their use of academic terminology for communication, nonverbal skills and leadership skills. Most importantly, these students have learned how to create relationships with those they normally wouldn’t get the chance to.
“I’ve learned that everyone has something awesome about them, but they may show it in a different way,” Owens said. “You really have to get to know a person and look from their perspective to connect with them.”
IPS serves as more than just a first hour, especially for students with special needs.
“They don’t really have a place to belong within the whole school, so this gives them that access — to have a place to belong,” Thibodeau said.