| Running store teaches 7th-graders life skills
T Each student has a job. Some students take inventory, others calculate the profits, some run the register and another provide “security.” “Security checked everyone’s receipt,” Secaur said. “The students used a lot of math skills adding up costs and counting change.” But the students are getting more than just a math lesson. “They also had to work with their social skills interacting with the student customers,” she said. Secaur filed for a grant to obtain 200 books and a cash register to help get them started. The students in her class arrive early on Wednesdays to set up the store by themselves. Her class ran the store for the first time Wednesday, Jan. 25. Secaur said they ran the store with no adult influence. Teachers were there to help only if it was necessary. “They were so proud of themselves,” Secaur said. “That was an extra bonus. That wasn’t something I was seeking. “Here is a service they’re providing and they’re doing a wonderful job,” Secaur said. “It was so rewarding to watch them.” She said the bookstore was busy for a solid 20 minutes with a line of students at the register waiting to check out. Secaur plans to continue the store until the end of the school year, and is hopeful to open it again at the beginning of the next school year. The store sells more than books. School supplies, including notebooks, pencils and pens, also are available. It has fiction and non-fiction books, mysteries, classics and series. The books available are mostly paperbacks. “My students are gaining work experience they may not gain in a competitive world,” Secaur said. “And it also gives them experience in using the academics in the real world.” In fact, Secaur was unaware how many books were sold, and how much money was made on the first day. It is all in the hands of the students. She said the store gives the students a sense of pride in their work. “They’re all looking forward to next week,” Secaur said. |
he students run a bookstore in the hallway just outside their classroom. Each Wednesday, they operate the store for half an hour before school starts, from 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m.