The face of our city is changing rapidly, which can create much uncertainty. Gentrification is hurting many families, including many of my students. The neighborhood where our school is located is mostly low-income and houses many immigrant families. Many students from our high school qualify for free and reduced lunch, among other financial assistance programs, as they cannot afford to pay for these things.
My students are differently-abled, but their disabilities do not define who they are.
They are compassionate, friendly, energetic, unpredictable, and some of the best dancers I've ever seen. I teach an Intensive Skills class with a focus on social skills, communication, and functional academics. My goal is to improve life outcomes for my students while defying bleak statistics for people with disabilities.
These challenges, along with limited school resources, create many barriers in the classroom. My students are always extremely grateful for any new learning opportunities. They enjoy hands-on experiences, technology, and novel activities. I do my best to provide a rich and rewarding educational environment.
My Project
This year we have been fortunate enough to have a brand new, remodeled building. Our district also added another Intensive Skills Classroom to our school, which puts us up to three classrooms full of students with moderate to severe disabilities. Each classroom came equipped with a fridge, storage space and a full kitchen. It has been awesome teaching students how to cook each week in our new space. However, we have struggled to find all the supplies we need in order to have a fully functional kitchen.
My students love cooking projects (especially the part where we get to eat what we've made).
I love cooking projects because there are so many hidden lessons. For example, cooking helps students understand measurement, fractions and even ratios. It teaches knife safety, fire safety and how to handle someone else's food. Cooking instruction teaches students how to provide a basic need to themselves so they can become more independent. Supplies such as pots and pans will allow us to teach these essential skills. Food storage containers will enable us to keep food such as flour and sugar without fear of ants or other invaders. Reusable plates, bowls and cups help us reduce our impact on the environment while also teaching students to clean dishes. I have requested three sets of most items since there are three separate classrooms needing kitchen supplies.
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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 Mrs. Dwight and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
