We hear it all the time, "Things just aren't made like they use to be." In our classroom we understand this all too well. We are in need of quality supplies to help our classroom remain focused and learning. Keep calm, and learn on!
My students are quite honestly some of the most amazing kids I have ever met.
The group as a whole are motivated to do well in school. I am always impressed by their eagerness to learn. They are respectful and kind to one another and their teacher. Their own desire to learn brings us here. Everyday we battle a pencil sharpening issue. They are constantly trying to track down a sharpened pencil for they know a trip to the sharpener will be time wasted (the pencils quite literally won't sharpen). We have tried many options this year (crank sharpeners, hand held sharpeners, and even a poor quality electric sharpener), but we haven't found a solution. After research into product quality and use, I think I have finally found an alternative-mechanical pencils and a good quality sharpener.
My Project
Imagine: A classroom full of students on task and filling their brains with knowledge. The students are fully engaged in their work, then suddenly a loud grinding is heard. At first only a few students lift their head, but the grinding continues on and on. More and more students begin to look around, cover their ears, and sigh at the obnoxious sound coming from the pencil sharpener. The valuable learning is now disrupted.
This is just one circumstance in which our poor pencils and/or sharpeners are a distraction. Frustrated students often request to borrow another teacher's sharpeners. This usually isn't an option. These new supplies will help us get our classroom back on track. We won't be battling the noise distraction each day. With mechanical pencils we won't need to sharpen. We still are requesting an electric sharpener for when mechanicals aren't an option. Besides, some students prefer traditional pencils. Erasers never last the life of a pencil - we are requesting erasers.
As adults we know how frustrating it is to be given a task without appropriate resources to carry out the task.
My students battle this frustration each day as they begin their work. It is hard to ask them to complete pen and paper assignments when they can't even find a functioning writing utensil. Please consider donating to our classroom. We would greatly appreciate it! Thanks for reading!
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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. Wells and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.