I teach a diverse group of about 120 6th grade students. My kids are at different levels of math development. I have students who struggle with math concepts, students on an IEP for math, and students who excel in math with little to no instruction from me. My goal is to teach my kids to love math.
Our school is made up of 4th through 6th grade.
As a 6th grade math teacher, it is my responsibility to make sure my students are prepared for middle school. Along with our state objectives, we strive to teach our children life skills, which may or may not be enforced at home, that are an important part of being responsible adults.
The students in our intermediate school come from many different backgrounds. We have students who have caring and supportive parents, students whose parents have no involvement in their education, students in foster care, and students who basically raise themselves.
Many of my students have a thirst for learning more and thrive to succeed. I do, however, have a handful of students with absolutely no motivation and who do not see education as an important part of their life. I have 5 classes of students who are your typical 11 and 12 year olds.They have great personalities and are full of life and laughter. These kids are the reason I love my job!
My Project
My students need scientific calculators to prepare for middle school math. We currently have basic calculators in our classroom, but my kids are very limited to how these calculators can be used. After students have mastered the steps necessary for working problems out on paper, my next step each year is teaching them to use a basic calculator. Many of my kids are unfamiliar with basic calculator skills. Once they are comfortable with the basic functions on a calculator, I like to introduce the additional functions that are available on a scientific calculator.
Once these kids get into "the real world", they will not be expected to work daily math problems using a pencil and paper...they will rely on calculators, computers, and other electronics to help solve problems. These students need to be comfortable with using the functions available on scientific calculators at an early age to better prepare for not only for future math courses, but also for the real world.
If my project is funded, I will have a classroom set of scientific calculators to allow my students to practice necessary math skills.
My students will feel comfortable with the various functions on the calculator and will carry this skill with them as they leave my class at the end of the year. With enough calculators for each child, we will be able to do projects both individually and as a whole class. My students will be better prepared for math classes, the ACT test, and "the real world".
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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. Bisson and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.