Worksheets don't provide real world experiences. In an effort to teach my students experiences that will help them become as independent as possible, I provide as many hands on experiences as possible.
I teach in a middle school special education classroom for students in grades 6-8 with Autism and Intellectual Disabilities.
My students are all performing below grade level in most if not all academic areas. In my class, students work on academic skills as well as life skills with an overall goal of becoming as independent as possible.
My Project
The tablet will be used with a Square Up cash drawer as part of a cash register.
This year, the aide in my classroom and I opened a coffee/tea shop that the students independently run. Teachers in our building place orders each day, and the contribute to the coffee shop. Each student has a specific job (i.e. labeling cups with names, labeling cups with order numbers, making drinks). Students rotate through jobs, so students in my classroom fulfill the orders and deliver the drinks to teachers. Supports such as numbered labels are in place so that even students with the most difficulties can they have a chance to learn different skills.
At the end of each week, students make invoices and deliver them to teachers. When the teachers pay their invoice at the beginning of the next week, students count the money and figure out the change. I want the students to have a cash register, so this can be more "real world" for them as they work on taking money and making change.
Having a tablet as part of a cash drawer truly will change the lives of my students, as it is providing them with real life functional skills.
It is important to look beyond the walls of the school and think about what each student may do after school. Having a cash register and collecting money will allow my students to work toward academic goals while working on life skills.
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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. Andorf and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.