Functional Academics at Ford Middle School

Hello! My name is Clare Hollis and I am the Functional Academics teacher at Ford Middle School. I am so excited that your child will be joining our class next year! A little bit about myself… I have a Bachelor’s in Speech and Language Pathology and a Master’s in Special Education, Mild to Moderate Disabilities. Both of my degrees are from the University of Central Oklahoma. I have taught a variety of special education classes in Oklahoma, California and Texas.

Middle school is a big change not only academically but also emotionally and physically. I will only have your student for two short years, so I try to prepare them for high school starting day 1. Some of our students are very schedule oriented so I try not to deviate too far from the same daily activities.

A typical day in our classroom might look like this:

Period 1- Cafeteria duty, this is an opportunity to practice vocational and work related skills. Students might help clean, restock milk, or organize silverware. We will then head back to the classroom to begin English/Language Arts.                        

Period 2- Math                                                                               

Period 3- Partners PE                                                                    

Period 4- Social Studies                                                                              

LUNCH- We typically eat in our classroom                                                                                                 

Period 5- Reading Resource                                                         

Period 6- FOCUS or Mustang Hour, FOCUS is a class that allows for school announcements and students to catch up on work or receive tutoring. During this time we also work on Social/Emotional Skills. Mustang Hour is a time for students to participate in clubs.                                                                                 

Period 7- Electives, my students can choose from Art, Theater, Computer or if they participated in choir or music in elementary, they can continue to pursue that elective. Peer helpers will assist our class in their chosen elective.                                                 

Period 8- Science

Here are a few pictures of our classroom. I like to keep a calm and “homey” atmosphere. We have a full kitchen for cooking once a week, laundry room and restroom. Our classroom is also located close to the nurse clinic and front office. I hope this brief description of my class answers any questions you may have. I look forward to meeting you next year!