"The only disability in life is a bad attitude." - Scott Hamilton Many of us take advantage of the fact that one day we will live independently, with little thought on how to move throughout or daily lives. My students need to be taught those tasks that we take for granted.
My class is made up of high school students from grades 9 through age 21, who have a variety of mild to severe disabilities.
But, they are just like any other high schoolers. They love to laugh, have many friends, and just want to be as independent as they can. Our school is a nurturing, welcoming environment that involves my students in many aspects. I teach two domains within my classroom in our Life Skills Program; Functional Academics and Daily Living Skills. In my class, this means kids could be learning how to make a grocery list and adding up prices, to learning how to cook and do laundry. We are preparing them to have the most independent life possible, because we all deserve that, regardless of ability.
My Project
We are in need of visual timers to keep students and staff on track of schedules. They will be used as a whole class (a count-down, if you will), as well as to show students how much more "free time" they have left after earning it for their hard work. The sensory toys are much needed for my students with Autism, who need that tactile input to calm themselves. The boardgames, cooking curriculum, and other paper workbooks are to aide in more realistic life experiences. What better way to learn than to be given the most realistic situation as possible within a classroom?
In my classroom, it is all about schedules and organization.
Keeping the schedule as routine as possible ensures for a much smoother day. Having options for kids to learn how to monitor their own behavior is a huge goal as well. The sensory toys give my kids those opportunities. And like I said, I am looking for realistic situations to prepare my students for life outside of high school. The paper curriculum and boardgames will play a huge role in readying them for post-high school.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Larson and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.