Steven was afraid to crack an egg.
He gently tap, tap, tapped it. No luck.
“You have to break it,” Doug Kerr, special education teacher at Iola High School, encouraged him.
So Steven got a little more assertive with his egg. It cracked.
That was his first experience frying an egg. Steven is a student at IHS and receives special education services. This semester, he’s taking a culinary essentials class that’s part of a Career and Technical Education (CTE) pilot program for special education students at IHS.
As part of the class, Steve and his fellow students have made several dishes, including enchiladas. He most enjoyed making churros.
With the blessing of the ANW Interlocal and IHS administration, Kerr introduced the program as a way to bridge the gap for students who may not succeed in a typical CTE class. He teaches three classes as part of the program: culinary essentials, video production and woodworking.
Each class is modified to suit the capabilities of his students.
Culinary arts, for example, teaches safety in handling food and equipment, along with easy-to-follow recipes.
Video production students create short videos and memes to share on social media.
Woodworking projects take discarded household items for students to refurbish or turn into crafts. They learn how to safely use common power tools.
Some of Kerr’s students are on the autism spectrum. Some have been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, or have mental, physical or learning disabilities.
Each of Kerr’s students have an Individualized Education Plan. Such plans might allow for extra time to take tests or modify lessons.
Students with an IEP can take traditional CTE courses, but might have trouble connecting with the material.
Kerr’s found a way to meet students where they are, adapting the traditional curriculum in ways that “embed” credits by teaching skills in practical application.
For example, in culinary classes, students learn English skills by reading recipes. They learn math by measuring and calculating costs of ingredients.
The National Association of School Boards reports students with disabilities who participated in CTE were more likely to graduate than those who did not.
