"It's a New Day" by Will.i.am plays each morning as my students complete their morning routine. No matter what happens the day before or in their lives at home, each morning starts with the promise of a fresh day at school and great things to come.
My classroom is full of 16 high-energy kindergarteners who each have their own distinct personalities.
My school draws a diverse population of students from different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. For many of my students, their home lives are stressful and sometimes unstable. They bring their emotions to school and it's my job to make sure the school day is as predictable as possible and allows them to succeed. One of the ways I do this is through calming and focusing techniques aimed at assisting the kids in self-regulating. My kids have made huge strides in managing their energy and emotions but still require a lot of adult assistance in doing so!
My Project
Many activities in kindergarten are done as a whole class and involve materials beyond just paper and pencil. My class spends a great deal of time on their carpet spots, from morning meeting, read alouds, math warm-ups, and class discussions. In addition, we use many materials on the carpet like magnetic letters, clipboards, dry erase materials, and math manipulatives. I often have to interrupt my teaching to remind kids to get their bodies back in control which disrupts everyone's learning. Having a carpet with distinct sections will make it easier for my students to manage their bodies when we are together as a group. It will also help manage supplies by keeping them from getting mixed up while the kids are working. In addition, it will make distribution and collection of supplies more efficient, therefore speeding up transition time and allowing for more instructional time.
The project will improve my classroom by providing a secure space for each one of my children.
Having spacial boundaries for my students will help them to self-regulate and will allow them to focus more on the lesson. This will also help me as a teacher, with classroom management since I will have to spend less time reminding students to control their bodies. Lessons will run smoother without this disruption and my students will become more independent.
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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 Ms. Sturm and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.