Pathful in Practice #2: Kayleigh Gaborek – Differentiating Reflections and Building Job-Ready Skills
August 19th, 2025
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Sam Spiegel
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Pathful in Practice #2: Kayleigh Gaborek – Differentiating Reflections and Building Job-Ready Skills

Kayleigh Gaborek, a Start on Success Educator in Pittsburgh School District, streamlines planning and builds real access for diverse learners by pairing scaffolded reflections with job-ready writing practice.

“The resume and cover letter builders are a big help for my students in formatting these important documents."

"As a Special Education teacher, I like that I can add differentiation by having some of my students do the multiple-choice Career Checks as opposed to the short answer Career Journals.”

What this looks like in practice: Use the same prompt in two formats—open-response Career Journals and multiple-choice Career Checks—so every student engages with identical content at the right level. Put both options in a single assignment, direct students to the one that fits, and grade with a quick 3-point rubric (completion, accuracy, reflection). For writing prep, schedule a short class block to produce drafts with Resume and Cover Letter Builders, using a simple checklist (all sections present, clear wording, one measurable achievement).

How to try it:

Assign Career Journals as the default reflection and offer multiple-choice Career Checks as the scaffolded alternative for students who need it.
Set clear criteria (IEP accommodations, reading level, workload) for who completes the open-response Career Journal vs the multiple-choice Career Check; put both in a single assignment so you can direct students to the right option and collect everything in one place.
Block two sessions per unit: Resume Builder first, then Cover Letter Builder, so every student leaves with a polished draft.
Save drafts to student portfolios and reference them during transition meetings to show growth and next steps.