My high school age students are joyful, funny, kind and ready to learn! They come to school each day ready to take on both personal and academic challenges. Although they all experience a unique and intensive need disability they are capable learners, excellent friends and have gifts to share. My students work harder then most daily in order to navigate the unique challenges that come with their own disability (abilities!) They all work towards personal goals and life skills attainment, including job skills and money management. Because they have learned to work through challenges and maintain a positive attitude, they are an inspiration to all they meet and teach me something daily.
Many students in my class require hands-on learning in order to boost self-esteem, academic progress and fully access their education while in school, especially in employability skills that will carry them on after high school and into the real world.
Each child in my classroom loves learning but the methods they use in order to gain information vary greatly from student to student. Real world tasks and experiences help to bridge the gap between academic tasks and real world skills by making learning both accessible and effective.
My Project
Help us expand our growing employability program with this new and improved espresso machine! My special education students have worked hard this year to learn and create an employability program at our high school that is both functional and fun. Within this program they learn all sorts of REAL LIFE skills including financial literacy, functional academics (reading, writing, math) and employability skills. By making learning REAL and relevant to my students they are learning from experience everyday while in high school. Running a coffee stand within our school has taught them to communicate more effectively with others, handle money, run a small business and remain motivated to keep learning new skills.
The best part of this project is that it is keeping my special education students motivated to continue learning new skills that will carry them into life after high school!
Students have reported feeling more connected to peers, better prepared for future basic employment skills and learning academic skills. The most successful area of learning academically has been in the area of money math, a traditionally hard to motivate subject. Not anymore!
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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. Turner and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
{"pmaHash":"","schoolCity":"Sitka","showProjectRecommendations":true,"teachersOnPage":[6369377],"isTeacherViewingTheirOwnProject":false,"hideTeacherDetails":false,"schoolState":"AK","teacherPossessivePronoun":"her","PMsManager":null,"schoolGradeType":{"id":4,"name":"High School"},"TeacherPMForms":{},"proposalId":4834417,"proposalMessageFormModel":null,"numActiveProjects":1,"completingDonationAmount":2459,"teacherHasClassroomPhoto":true,"proposalURL":"https://www.donorschoose.org/project/get-us-working/4834417/","verifyShowPhotos":"","eligibleToBeCopied":false,"mayHaveReplacements":false,"numStudents":15,"teacherScreenName":"Ms. Turner","isEquityFocus":false,"authorIds":{"6369377":{"owner":"Ms. Turner","donationSalutations":{}}},"displayedPercentFunded":0.0,"proposalsOnPage":[4834417],"proposalHash":"-141569422","isApplePayMobileOnly":true,"progressBarPercentage":0.00,"pmaId":"","teacherProfilePhotoURL":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6369377_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=136&height=136&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1644296847104","teacherHasProfilePhoto":true,"currentWorkflowStatusCode":7,"teacherChallengeId":21375982,"photosPublished":false,"queryString":"","DonorPMForm":null,"isApplePayEnabled":true,"fundedByTarget":false,"activeProject":{"completingDonationAmount":289,"proposalURL":"project/restful-recovery-a-sanctuary-for-studen/8174046/","proposalTitle":"Restful Recovery: A Sanctuary for Students Post-Seizure","proposalId":8174046},"donorIdsForImpactPhotoCheck":[],"teacherId":6369377,"schoolCounty":"Sitka","fullyFunded":false,"isStudentLed":false,"isExpired":true,"schoolStateObj":{"code":"AK","name":"Alaska"}}