Do you remember boring required reading in high school? We're trying to move away from that in twelfth grade English, but I want to make sure my students have the chance to interact with great literature, too.
My students attend a large, comprehensive high school in a very diverse community in central Virginia.
Some students come from incredibly privileged backgrounds while others have a very low socio-economic status. All of them have big dreams for what comes after their senior year.
My Project
Seamus Heaney's translation of Beowulf changed the way we look at this class story. Heaney helped readers to see the epic poem as a long, conversational adventure story filled with drama, action, and lust. The translation in our textbook doesn't have any of these elements, and I want to make sure that my students have an exciting introduction to the beginning of literature in English.
For so many of my students, school is not a priority.
They don't feel successful, they don't find school relevant, and they often have trouble finding books to engage them and reflect their own circumstances. A new translation of Beowulf will help them engage in a rigorous and exciting curriculum.
More than half of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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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. Thornton and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
