The seven students work alongside each other in the kitchen to deliver the baked goods to staff, and are hands-on and engaged in the process.
“The students participate in every step,” Pierce said. “They set the timer, preheat the oven, gather the supplies needed, and measure each ingredient before mixing. They also place muffin liners in the pans and scoop the batter into the pan.”
The students have gained confidence in themselves and their abilities while learning valuable life and workplace skills through the muffin-making process. Pierce said she’s proud of her students and loves hearing their stories of how they’ve taken the skills they’ve learned in the classroom and applied them to their lives.
“Baking in the classroom has increased their confidence in being able to cook at home,” Pierce said. “One student told me that they had a box of muffin mix at home and followed the directions on the box to make them just like we do in class.”
Every Thursday, staff members fill out a form of their choice of muffin, with many purchasing for colleagues. They are then made-to-order and hand delivered by students on Fridays.
Principal Chad Mossing said the staff enjoys taking part in the student’s learning experience.
“They are excited about the muffins each week and appreciate the hard work that the class puts into baking them,” he said. “They have really worked hard this school year, and it is great to see their progress and the confidence they have built.”
Along with the weekly staff orders, the bakery also provides muffins for staff meetings on Tuesday mornings, in which the class “bills” Mossing for the muffins made for those meetings. This helps the students also learn customer service and marketable skills.
“The students not only learn how to bake the muffins with Miss Nyah, but also the process for operating a successful business,” Mossing said.
Pierce said she hopes to expand to other baked goods in the future, but for now, they’ll continue to perfect the muffin-making process.
The bakery works in conjunction with The Braves Brew Coffee Shop, which is organized for district staff by high school intervention specialist Beth Szekacs.
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