At the beginning of each school year the students and I spend time creating a community of learners. Our classroom is a place where each student receives what he/she needs to be successful.
This year I am co-teaching with another third grade regular education teacher and a special education teacher in one classroom.
Our classroom will serve 32 students in a small space. My students are diverse culturally, academically, and economically. About 75% of students receive free and reduced lunch.
With increased rigor in curriculum my students struggle to maintain attention and focus when working through difficult tasks. They all have the desire to learn, but sometimes are distracted by talking or noises that other students are making in the classroom.
My Project
Students need to collaborate and learn from each other to make curriculum meaningful for them. With this collaboration comes noise. I don't mean rock concert loud, but even 32 children whispering can be distracting to even to the most focused student. I strive to teach kids to advocate for themselves and find solutions to help them succeed. Having ear muffs available to block noise will allow students to continue working, maintain focus, and increase their stamina to complete a task. Students that will use the ear muffs will gain confidence in their ability to finish a task and be available for learning for longer periods of time.
Students will be able to maintain focus and build their stamina for learning when they are able to block noisy distractions with the ear muffs.
Having ear muffs in the classroom accessible to students as needed will foster confidence in their ability to learn. I also foresee conflict between students decreasing because students will be able to wear the ear muffs instead of repetitively saying, "stop that!".
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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 Mrs. Watt and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.