Students have a life outside of school.

It is this life that I got a glimpse of today when I visited a group home where one of my students lives. I was there to attend a transition meeting for this young man. I was struck by how much more meaning and relevance I could have added to my instructional strategy for him had I just known about the kinds of things and activities my student was engaged in at home. I will prioritize home visits whenever possible in the future. I know more meaningful goals and strategies will be the result of my understanding of a student's life outside of school.