My students are lucky enough to receive communication arts instruction for two hours every day. However, sitting in the same plastic chair for two hours gets old. While we do get up and move for brain breaks, my students wish they could sit in other spots within our classroom.
My students hold such a special place in my heart.
They are smart, witty, imaginative, quirky, funny, and kind. They have created a community within our classroom that supports each other when times are hard. They work hard on tasks and are eager to please. They fit in well at our school, a place that feels like a giant family.
My Project
Right now we are participating in the Lucy Calkins Readers and Writers Workshop curriculum. This involves 15 minute mini-lesson and 45 minutes of reading or writing while I confer with students. By having a rug in my classroom, I will be able to pull my students into one area for our mini-lesson. We can also use this same area for group sharing. This is also much more comfortable than our plastic desk chairs. After our mini-lesson, I would love to give my students the freedom to sit wherever they would like to read or write. The carpet squares would provide cushion to my students, and the clipboard would provide a hard surface to write on. The light filters will provide a calming and relaxing environment that will allow students to focus.
All in all, I think that this project will allow my students to be more productive.
They have often complained about being uncomfortable in their chairs. They have also complained about the harsh lighting and constantly ask to turn the lights off. They would rather sit in the dark than deal with the bright lighting. I think if my students had the opportunity to sit in a more comfortable place in a calming environment, they would be able to focus more on their work.
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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. Schmidt and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.