Imagine teaching in a classroom with fifteen students who learn in fifteen different ways. Now imagine not having the materials to teach in those different ways.
I teach in a classroom of students with mild-moderate disabilities in a Title 1 school.
My town a large small town, and was recently named one of the top ten fastest growing cities in the United States. The district has more than a thousand more students in Pre-K through 12th grade than it did at this time three years ago. This has caused my caseload to more than double in the last three years. My students are in 2nd through 5th grade and are the greatest bunch of children a teacher could ask for. Their ability levels in mathematics range from one-to-one correspondence up to multiplication, but most are pretty low. Most of them work best with hands-on activities, but when I came to this classroom three years ago there was very little for them to work with because my department isn't well funded. I've had to make or purchase most of my own manipulatives, which consumes a lot of time and money that could be used to come up with ways to serve my students better.
My Project
I am requesting various math manipulatives including counters in various themes, money, geosolids for learning shapes, a tape measure, and items to help with liquid measurement. I envision using these resources for teaching new skills, daily practice, centers, and much more. They will use the manipulatives for everything--one-to-one correspondence, addition and subtraction, sorting, patterns, measuring, counting money, and much more.
With the proper tools, I see my students making great gains.
With math manipulatives geared toward different interest and skill levels, my staff and I can help nurture a love and excitement for learning new skills. In my years as a special education teacher, any time I have seen a student show excitement for the material, that excitement translates into growth. Growth turns into more excitement, and the cycle continues. Soon the student is mastering skills that many thought impossible.
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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. Eitzen and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
