Monica

Photo: clipart.com

Feel Good Story: Texas Teacher Empowering Special Needs Students with Coffee

Fresh into her career as a special education teacher, Shelby Winder is crushing the game with her kind heart.

Shelby recently graduated from Texas A&M, then landed a job teaching Life Skills at Grand Oaks High School in Spring Hill, TX.  In her role at the school, Shelby helps students with cognitive impairment and adaptive disabilities learn to live and thrive in a society that’s not always inclusive nor geared toward their needs.

Wanting to help her students open up, and learn to better cope with their disabilities, Shelby started a traveling coffee cart, called The Grizzly Bean, to show her students just how capable they truly are.

During the week, her students take orders from other teachers and staff members at the school, and on Fridays the kids push The Grizzly Bean coffee cart around, making deliveries.

Shelby told her local news outlet, “Yes, they all have different abilities, but what I want people to see is that, even though their abilities are so different, they absolutely can hold jobs.”

This is an activity for Shelby’s students to practice their social and communication skills, helping them to work through shyness, and even learning how to run a business by working with expenses and profits.

When The Grizzly Bean first started, it was solely funded by Shelby and her measly first-year teaching salary.  However, after witnessing the positive results, school administrators decided to reimburse Shelby and help fund the cart.

Planning to continue the experiment, Shelby hopes the profits from The Grizzly Bean will help other another school with a similar program.

The kind-hearted teacher shares, “This is so important to me because I know this is so important to them. This is going to build the foundation upon which they grow and blossom and become productive members of society.” Shelby continues, “I just love these kids with everything I’ve got, they’re my pride and joy. I just love them.”

Here’s the (now viral) post Shelby’s friend put on Facebook to brag on his kind-hearted gal pal.

(MSN)

Recent Headlines

5 days ago in Sports, Trending

Tom Brady says he’s weighed coming out of retirement, but the NFL doesn’t like the idea

Tom Brady revealed in an interview released on Thursday that he considered coming out of retirement, but the National Football League wasn't particularly receptive to the idea.

5 days ago in National, Trending

Savannah Guthrie to return to ‘Today’ on April 6 after mother’s disappearance

After a two-month absence sparked by her 84-year-old mother's apparent abduction, Savannah Guthrie will return to NBC's "Today" show next month, saying in an interview that aired Friday "joy will be my protest."

6 days ago in Entertainment, Music

Fetty Wap has a lot to say on ‘Zavier.’ It’s his first album since being released from prison

Fetty Wap is beaming so big, it is almost as if his smile enters the room before he does. And these days, the Paterson, New Jersey-born melodic rapper and singer has a lot to be happy about.

7 days ago in Entertainment

‘Stand by Me’ stars reflect on the movie, Rob Reiner and its return to theaters 40 years later

Jerry O'Connell, Corey Feldman and Wil Wheaton were already thinking about "Stand by Me" when Rob Reiner died in December. Just a week prior, the trio spent a weekend together attending some screenings of Reiner's beloved coming-of-age film, which was about to turn 40.

7 days ago in Sports, Trending

March Madness: Here’s one thing you need to know about each of the 16 teams remaining in men’s field

Florida isn't around to defend its title anymore, but all the other top seeds in this year's NCAA Tournament are still around. And many of them are winning convincingly.