One of the greatest benefits of letting students cook is the sense of achievement and self-sufficiency that they experience. Students with severe disabilities can be limited to the type of life skills they participate in and outside the classroom. Cooking allows students to learn lifetime skills through practicing basic math skills such as counting, weighing, measuring, and tracking time. Students gain social skills by working together and communicating in the kitchen.
We need a stove and cooking supplies to become special master chefs, who will learn lifetime skills through practicing basic life skills, math skills, mobility skills, social skills, and feeling self achievement. While one student is using the pan to sauté over the stove, another can be using the whisk and mixing bowl to mix all the ingredients together to bake. Cooking equipment, like a stove, pans, mixing bowl, spatulas, measuring cups, microwave, etc. allows my students to participate in differentiated instruction, using hands-on learning, sensory stimulation, and building their life skills.
These essential cooking skills can generalize to the high school, home, and community environment, allowing my students with disabilities to build practices that will help them master vocational skills, volunteer or work at a restaurant or fast food places, and help them become better citizens of the community. Having the equipment and tools necessary to cook, allow my students to have fun learning! They get to explore and create different foods and desserts. They get to meet their goals, objectives, and state standards using hands-on learning. One of my favorite quotes in life is by Benjamin Franklin, “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” Involving my special education students in their learning is going to teach them lifelong cooking skills that will help as they grow older and become more independent.
About my class
One of the greatest benefits of letting students cook is the sense of achievement and self-sufficiency that they experience. Students with severe disabilities can be limited to the type of life skills they participate in and outside the classroom. Cooking allows students to learn lifetime skills through practicing basic math skills such as counting, weighing, measuring, and tracking time. Students gain social skills by working together and communicating in the kitchen.
We need a stove and cooking supplies to become special master chefs, who will learn lifetime skills through practicing basic life skills, math skills, mobility skills, social skills, and feeling self achievement. While one student is using the pan to sauté over the stove, another can be using the whisk and mixing bowl to mix all the ingredients together to bake. Cooking equipment, like a stove, pans, mixing bowl, spatulas, measuring cups, microwave, etc. allows my students to participate in differentiated instruction, using hands-on learning, sensory stimulation, and building their life skills.
These essential cooking skills can generalize to the high school, home, and community environment, allowing my students with disabilities to build practices that will help them master vocational skills, volunteer or work at a restaurant or fast food places, and help them become better citizens of the community. Having the equipment and tools necessary to cook, allow my students to have fun learning! They get to explore and create different foods and desserts. They get to meet their goals, objectives, and state standards using hands-on learning. One of my favorite quotes in life is by Benjamin Franklin, “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” Involving my special education students in their learning is going to teach them lifelong cooking skills that will help as they grow older and become more independent.
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