PC: The Special Education Program at Thomas Jefferson recently introduced refreshing cups of coffee for the TJ faculty and staff. photo courtesy of Storyblocks.com
Thanks to the help of the Special Education program, teachers have the opportunity to buy coffee from the new coffee cart at TJ.
The Special Education program has recently set up a refreshing coffee cart for TJ teachers and administrators. Because the TJ faculty come to school much earlier than the students, the Special Ed department thought it would be nice to reward them with some caffeine to wake them up and further prepare them for the busy day ahead.
The coffee cart is available to the faculty every Tuesday during the first period of the day. The Special Educations students created the coffee cart in order to gain experience through communication and have the opportunity to handle money. Special Education teacher Paul Croom explained that the cart is a way for the kids to “interact with the staff and a way for them to get to work on some of their money skills.” Money was donated to the program as a kick-start so the program could get a Keurig, cups, and coffee pods for the Keurig.
The classes are split into groups of two or three, and special jobs are assigned for making the coffee. “They each have different roles, so one might be making the coffee, one team might go on deliveries, and one team might help with the cleanup,” explained Croom. With the money earned, the students use the money to replenish the coffee pods and cups, and the remainder of the money is given to the students in the Special Ed department. The team might have an end of year party or field trip, but the options are open to them depending on how much money is made.
Faculty member Jessica Popper thinks the Special Ed coffee cart is a great idea and thinks it is contributing to a great cause. She commented, “The coffee cart is great for whenever you forget your morning coffee. It is a lifesaver in terms of getting energy for the rest of the day.” The coffee cart also allows the faculty to interact with students they might not normally talk to. “I benefit from getting coffee, and the students benefit from getting experience, so it is a win-win situation for everyone,” mentioned Popper.
If any faculty and staff are wondering where to get a cup of hot coffee, Croom sends out an email to the staff every week with a link to a form that could be filled out to get a coffee delivered to them. The coffee is only a dollar, and it is for a great cause, so the TJ staff members should make sure to bring some money to school in order to partake in the coffee cart and satisfy their coffee cravings.
