12: Parkrose HS Life Skills Teacher Jake Dorr

Parkrose Life

As the Life Skills Lead Teacher at Parkrose High School, Jake Dorr helps students with a range of challenges such as autism, Down syndrome, and other learning disabilities. He uniquely designs learning opportunities for his students based on their Individualized Education Plans (IEP). He also works alongside other Parkrose faculty so students with certain challenges can excel in the general education courses and graduate. He works with students in a classroom setting, and at other times he works as a "manager of an airport" since people are always coming and going and he has several responsibilities. He oversees schedules and works with educational assistants to keep everything going while maintaining flexibility with students' needs.
He shared several success stories of ways he has helped students and also gives kudos to the teachers and educational assistants and the collaboration and communication among Parkrose schools serving different ages of students and also the Life Education for Adults of Parkrose (LEAP) students.
Jake grew up in Philomath, and fun fact, he and I both met our wives while working as counselors at Camp Tadmor in Lebanon, OR.
As an artist, Jake incorporates a lot of icons and graphics in his teaching. You can check out his art or contact him at his website jakedorr.com, @whatjakesees on Instagram, and Jake of All Trades on YouTube.
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