Social Narrative: First Day at a New Job | Young Adult Work

This first day at a new job social narrative walks young adults through a real workplace or community moment in a calm, grown-up voice.

Why I made this: First days are where a lot of my students either settle in or decide the job is not for them. Most of that comes down to a few small moments: which door, what to say, where the locker is, and whether it is okay to ask. This walks through those moments in a calm, grown-up voice so students know what to expect before they walk in.

What's included:

• Cover and teacher how-to page

• 5 short story sections on 3 narrative pages, each with a layout box for a photo of your own site

• Talk About It page with 7 discussion prompts

• Practice page with 4 situations: circle the calm next step and write what you would say

• My Plan page for the student to fill in before the first day

• Teacher discussion key with suggested answers

How I use it: Read it together the day before the first shift. Read it again on the day if you can. Stop at each visual box and point to the real thing at the site. Use Talk About It and Practice, then fill in My Plan and let the student keep a phone photo of it. Fade to the plan page alone when they are ready.

How this is different from my related products: My Self-Advocacy Communication Cards include a Hello, New Boss page you can hand to a supervisor. This is a full social narrative with story pages, discussion prompts, practice situations, and a My Plan page. Use them together: read the narrative before day one, then keep the card in a wallet.

Part of the Social Narratives series: young adult voice, story pages with visual layout boxes you can fill with photos from your own site, discussion prompts, practice situations, a My Plan page, and a teacher key.

Also available: FREE Social Narratives Sampler | Workplace + Transition (try five short pages before you buy a full set). A Social Narratives family bundle is coming soon.

Who it is for: high school special education, transition programs for ages 18 to 21, job coaches, and work-based learning teams. Grades 9 to 12 and adult transition. Written for young adults, not preschool story voice.

What you download: one printable PDF, 10 pages, US Letter. Teacher discussion key included.

Real workplaces and routes vary. Cross out and write in the real names, places, and times from the student's site. Always follow the training and rules at the actual job or transit system.

From the author of The Transition Map (Jeremy D. Gooch), available in paperback and Kindle.

Written by Jeremy D. Gooch, a teacher with 20+ years in education. All names, businesses, and places are made up.