A Fresh & Engaging Classroom Library for Independent Reading
My students need 18 books to bolster their classroom library. These books are fresh, engaging, and critical to pulling in the reluctant, young readers I have.
I asked a young man a question in class recently and, for 10 seconds, he didn't even acknowledge my existence. And I couldn't have been happier. This boy, who had spent most of the year staring out of the window during independent reading, was lost in a book.
Let me get this out of the way: my students are awesome.
They're funny, creative, and vibrant - despite the scars life has left on so many of them at such a young age.
I teach 8th grade English in a diverse, high-needs district. And my students' needs range from: a simple meal in the morning to someone simply encouraging them to do their best. But their needs, or our district's lack of resources, don't define these children.
They're caring brothers and sisters. Dependable sons and daughters. Loyal friends.
They're hardworking students. Eager to please you. Eager to just get it right.
And many of the times, they just want to get away. Away from the drama in the hallway and cafeteria. Away from the stress at home. Away from...here. The new books I want to get for them will help them do that.
A passion for reading is usually developed at a young age, and I want to help my kids discover that passion before it's too late.
My Project
My kids will use these books every day. They'll come in, as they've done all year, choose a book from the shelf, and just read for 10 minutes or so. It's called Independent Reading. There are no assignments attached to it. No logs to fill out.
Just reading.
Now, there are book talks, and Flash Reviews, and "Genre Book Tours." But that's it.
I just want them to discover a book, a genre, or an author, and fall in love with reading. Like I did in high school because of, "A Time to Kill." I read every Grisham book I got my hands on that year, and have had a close relationship with books ever since.
But that doesn't happen often with the library I currently have in my room. Most of my titles are older and don't speak to them. The few popular titles I do have, like "Legend," or "Unwind," are literally falling apart because they're so popular in my class.
I would love to see my kids' faces when they walk in and see a stack of new, cool books. And you can help with that.
Getting more of my students to enjoy reading regularly will lead to an increase in their test scores, yes.
And they'll do better in all their classes the more they read. But those are bonuses.
In books I want them to have a haven, to make connections, travel all over the world (or through time!), realize they are not alone, become someone they had never imagined. I want them to laugh, weep, reflect, and make friends. Simply put: this won't just improve my classroom, it'll improve their lives.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mr. Davis and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
