Blake Panian, the school’s new school resource aide, watches his students order food from various restaurants in Westgate Mall, encouraging them to practice interacting with others in a public place. These are the highlights of Panian’s role — weekly outings with students whose disabilities prevent them from taking most mainstream academic classes. He enjoys seeing these students engage with a more everyday environment and, ideally, preparing them for independent living someday.
In his role as a resource aide, he is assisting students in the CBI (Community-Based Instruction) program. His role focuses on supporting students in building their independence and making sure they feel comfortable and confident in their learning environment.
This is Panian’s first position at a high school, following his work as a behavioral technician with toddlers at a private company called Choa Behavioral and Autism. He worked at this company for a little under 15 months, before deciding to transition to working with older children.
“I help out the learners wherever I can,” Panian said. “It’s a lot about building rapport with them and figuring out what they need and don’t need. I want to step back when I see they can be more independent.”
Panian was drawn to the role because of the school’s strong CBI program, which provides students with instruction in functional and life skills. He finds the school’s sense of community appealing and appreciates the support that he has received from both the staff and students.
“The community here is really nice,” Panian said. “It’s nice to be supported, not only by the staff, but the students as well. I feel like I’m building a much stronger relationship with them compared to my previous role.”
Although this is Panian’s first time working at a high school, he has found the transition to be smooth, especially since he is familiar with working with students due to his experience as a behavioral technician. Additionally, he feels that the high school setting has allowed him to give students more space to grow independently.
Panian’s focus on fostering independence and building connections with his students makes him a valuable addition to the school community. He looks forward to continuing his work helping students gain the skills they need to thrive both in and out of the classroom.
“I hope that by the end of the year, the students will feel much more comfortable and independent and learn as many new skills as they can,” Panian said.
