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News – Storyboard Classroom is a Mini-Model of
Real Life
Shelby paused from her beadwork, looked up and
exclaimed, “I got a new pair of flip-flips at Target yesterday. They are black
with fun sparkles!”
Shopping is one of the basic activities and joys of life. Most of us overlook
what the simple act of shopping entails. To us, we work – we make money – we buy
flip-flops in our size. This is life, broken down quite simply.
However, if you are a high school special education teacher, you view Shelby’s
experience as quite complicated. Most of your students do not dress themselves
and do not know their clothing sizes. So a trip to Target might prove to be a
huge challenge. Imagine buying flip-flops and not knowing what size shoe you
wear.
That’s why Leslie Coffey’s special education class at Garfield is more than just
a class. It’s a mini-model of our world.
“We are trying to help students function independently within the real world,”
said Coffey. “There are things you just can’t re-create in the classroom.”
Each morning, Coffey turns her classroom into a coffeehouse aptly named
Garbucks. The students grind up gourmet brew and sell it. In the afternoons,
they gear up for the next craft show or art sale by designing reindeer earrings
and watches from recycled pencils.
If that’s not enough real-world work, the students actually take the money they
have earned and shop. This provides a great series of life experiences: earning
money, budgeting, making a shopping list, buying the items and working out other
problems they may find along the way.
“Playing with fake money in the classroom just doesn’t cut it,” explained
Coffey. “I had a student try on pants in the dressing room only to discover he
put them on inside out and backward. It was only then we realized he had never
dressed himself before.” |
