Classroom 7
Capybaras
The C7 class is a high school room comprised of 9th-12th grade students who are working toward graduation and beyond. Some students enter our room with the goal of returning to their home school district in order to experience a “typical high school” setting, while others train their sights on what comes next, whether college, or career. In our room, students continue building their core academic skills through exposure to high school level material across the curriculum. Core academics include English, math, social studies/history, and science.
A student might be expected to solve quadratic equations in one period, and then discuss the relative merits (or drawbacks) of the Electoral College in another. Our schedule is rounded out with recreation therapy (translates to PE credit) and a rotating elective. Past electives include film studies, drawing & painting, STEM lab, and job skills.
These courses serve two purposes. Yes, students accrue credit toward graduation, but (often more importantly for students in our setting), students build their independence and frustration tolerance for non-preferred tasks and situations. Students may enter our room holding predominately negative feelings toward school, however through hard work and diverse opportunities to engage socially in and out of our building, they can experience a sense of acceptance and joy which may have previously eluded them at school. Many students find that these feelings are powerful enough to motivate them to take on greater challenges in their lives, both in an out of school.
We have had students in our classroom take on part-time jobs, transition fully back to their home high schools, apply and get accepted to local colleges, and enter the work force.
