"The core of everything we do in our classroom is geared toward giving students the tools they need to be independent, contributing members of our community," says special services teacher Lacy Bennett, referring to the basic concept of her Life Skills class.
"Life Skills is a functional curriculum. We are teaching students skills they will need to live independently after high school while integrating basic academic elements in English, math, science and social studies," Bennett explains.
That learning is then reinforced through real-life applications.
"By incorporating academics into life skills activities, we are able to give students hands-on learning. The more 'real world' we can make their learning experience, the more likely they are to keep those skills," says Bennett, who also serves as the school-to-work coordinator for the Career Exploration program that Dexter High School utilizes in its special services classroom.
In English, for example, students work on grammar, writing and reading through instructional materials and structured daily practice. They then apply those concepts to real-world situations by reading classified ads for jobs, writing a resume and cover letter, filling out job applications, reading recipes, etc.
"The activities and projects in our classroom not only allow students to practice their academic learning, but they also gain social and vocational skills necessary to be successful in a work environment," Bennett said.
The students have regular classroom tasks that encourage attention to detail, and pride in a job well done.
"Each week the students are responsible for laundering the football practice jerseys and the official team jerseys," Bennett says.
Besides washing and drying the jerseys, the students also fold the jerseys neatly before returning them to the coach.
"We have a folding board that helps the students in the folding process. They are proud of their ability to turn out a clean, neat product," she said.
Another benefit of this activity, adds Bennett, is that it helps build a sense of belonging among the students.
"Most of these students will never play on a team; however, the action of helping the team in this way, makes them feel as if they are contributing to the team. Sometimes one of the football players will stop in and thank them for washing the jerseys. That is a huge boost to their morale," she said.
The students also are responsible for laundering the marching band uniforms, but that activity does not begin until after marching season ends.
"Those uniforms are bulky, and it takes quite a while to work through them," Bennett says. "We will probably begin those mid-November and finish up in February. Those have to be neatly hung, rather than folded, so again, attention to detail is important."
Friday is cooking day for the students, and Bennett says while they primarily utilize the microwave ovens, the students, again, are learning life skills that will serve them now, as well as when they move on to independent living.
"The things we cook weekly are simple snacks or appetizer-type food. We have a microwave cooking curriculum that we use to make entrees and side dishes," she said.
Bennett says the students work in groups of two or three and then share what they have made.
As the holiday season approaches the students will be busy with production of various gift items that will be available to district staff.
"Our goal in this endeavor is not to make a profit," Bennett explains, "but rather it is to utilize many of the academic, social and work-place skills that we discuss on a daily basis. The money from these projects keeps us supplied with product necessary for continued production."
Bennett says that the gift items are produced in a manufacturing type set-up.
"When the product we are making is more complex and has multiple steps, we try to give each student a specific task to complete throughout the production process. In that way the student is more likely to be successful in his/her effort," she said.
Among the items created by the students and made available to staff members for gift-giving are memory boards, dry laundry detergent, sugar hand scrub and chocolate cake mix. Teachers may also order specialized treat bags for their individual classrooms.
"To create the memory boards students incorporate math skills with workplace skills by using the tape measure to measure fabric and ribbon; they use scissors to cut and a staple gun to secure the fabrics; and then they learn the basic sewing skill of how to sew on a button when we attach the ornamental buttons. We also discuss safety in the usage of the scissors and staple gun," Bennett adds.
"To produce our detergent, scrubs and cake mix, students must read and follow the recipes. Our detergent is a secret formula, that we guard closely," laughs Bennett. "Our chocolate cake mix requires no eggs or oil and can be mixed up by hand adding only water and mayonnaise. It makes a delicious 9 by 13 chocolate cake."
Bennett says the classroom always has items for purchase, but they promote the items to district staff at Christmas time for gift giving and in the spring to clean out the inventory before they leave for the summer.
"Our workplace learning does not end with production," Bennett says. "Once we receive orders for our items, we attach an invoice to each order. If the sale occurred in this building, the students will deliver the item to the staff member. This experience teaches them about customer relations and how to speak to people in a business-like way. They might also have to make change, which utilizes their math skills."
Besides the activities that involve all students, through the Career Explorations class a real-life work opportunity is available to juniors and seniors.
"The district has provided four opportunities for my students to earn real-world experience in a commercial-style kitchen. There are two positions at middle school and two here at high school," Bennett explains. "The students primarily wash dishes and clean tables, but that experience can be listed on a resume. It also gives them an advantage when Vocational Rehabilitation visits during their senior year because they already have experience and it helps expedite the job-finding process for them.
"My goal is to give these students every opportunity to be successful -- not only in our classroom, but in life after they leave DHS. I want them to be as independent as possible."
Bennett says her concern for her students and passion for teaching stem from her personal life.
"I have a family member who is special needs, so I have a life-long devotion to those who require additional support in their daily lives," she said.
It was this personal connection that led her to pursue a degree in communication disorders at Truman State University in Kirksville.
"I earned a BA at Truman; then, after I married and moved to Dexter I attained alternative certification in K-12 special education," she said.
In May of 2017 she completed her master's degree in special education administration.
"The success of this program is due to my support team," Bennett is quick to admit. "My classroom aides Mrs. (Debbie) Tipton and Mr. (Curt) Hillis assist with teaching and one-on-one interaction with students. Without them we could not accomplish all that we do every day.
"Our administrators and my students' families are also committed to helping our students reach their goals. I am fortunate to have all their support, and I am very lucky to be a part of something so great."