Callie, Cierra, and Garrett are by far some of the hardest working and determined students I have had the pleasure of teaching. They are very excited about this initiative and the impact it will have on the classroom and school, by helping students to work with one another.
We are always trying to get into groups or partners in class for different activities. We have traditional high school desks, where the seat is attached to the desk. The students struggle to move their desk as they can only sit in the desk from one side. My students are constantly shifting in their seats in an attempt to get comfortable. One day we were talking about the desks and the class decided that they need to start a change! We looked at different desks that would allow for collaboration and chairs that were comfortable.
High school students spend around 6 hours each day sitting in a hard and uncomfortable chair. As we researched different options we found that the wing desk allows for many different seating arrangements from rows, to pairs, to fours, to groups of six. The flavor chair allows student to move and rock while they sit! My students want to move because they know how importance movement is to learning.
My students are very excited about this lofty project and gaining support to turn this project into a reality! The students have already begun working together to tell their story so that others might understand. They are preparing presentations and social media marketing to spread the word for this project. My students are learning how to work collaboratively with each other. They are also learning and working on their persuasive writing and analyzing research data for a presentation to fund this project.
What is truly amazing is that my students want to start this project with the hope that it will transform the furniture in the entire school. They are learning to be elements of change in society. As they promote this project, they plan to go to different companies with interactive presentations and video. This will prepare them for a successful future in many ways. It is truly inspiring to watch my students work toward this goal.
In Their Own Words
Our class was challenged to come up with an idea to improve our classroom that would have a lasting impact on future students and the school as a whole. All of us agreed that new desks and chairs would help us educationally and physically. These new desks will enable us to work in different grouping arrangements, as these desks are more mobile. This will also help other teachers and educational personnel see the benefit of collaborative desks and chairs. This can make all the difference in a classroom.
This leadership opportunity gives us a chance to demonstrate the proper skills of being a leader. Not only will we be helping the students from our class, but we’ll be helping future students as well. This class could only be the beginning. We have planned presentations to help bring this idea to life, including DonorsChoose.org. We will also set an example of leadership for other students in the school. Our hope is to empower the students in our school through this project.
It's very important for this project to succeed so that students have the opportunity to engage in such a new idea. These desks open up many doors for teachers to accommodate new learning styles and activities to help students even more. These desks will improve posture and back pains, while enforcing focus. This will allow our school, and others, to see the benefit of new desks positively impacting a classroom. This may lead to future installments in many other classrooms around our school.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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. Manna and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
