My second graders are nicknamed The Fish Sticks because of my under the sea classroom theme this year, and these Fish Sticks have the wiggles! Their favorite author is Mo Williams, and they are fighting the good fight to master the Common Core. They love to listen to Bach if they have extra time.
My twenty Fish Sticks live in an impoverished rural district where about 70% of our elementary kids qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
They dwell in the storied achievement gap where economic hardship meets poverty culture in many cases. They are lively, energetic children who yearn for encouragement and direction, responding powerfully to positive attention or the simple incentive of a sparkly sticker.
Their needs, their challenges seem infinite a lot of the time, and we face down the day's tasks together, sometimes with joy and sometimes with a few tears. I want to give them the world. I want to give them a chance, some way to see that they can hope for more.
My Project
Sitting still is exhausting...my Fish Sticks struggle to focus on the task at hand, wriggling in their plastic chairs. The battle to keep them in their seats (or at least NEAR their desks!) takes time away from our real work. I want to channel that energy into focus and wellness!
By switching out their hard plastic chairs for the dynamic tool of a bright balance ball, we'll be bringing better concentration, achievement and overall wellness into their lives. Instead of being uncomfortable and stiff by math time, the Fish Sticks can shift and balance on their stability balls to find a comfortable pose to help them sharpen their focus.
They can use the balls as desk chairs, cluster together on their balls to read books or to sit with a partner to do collaborative work. These vivacious Fish Sticks can find the active seating posture that engages their muscles and their minds!
The Fish Sticks will be "on the ball" with this project, dynamic and engaged from their active seating posture instead of fidgety and fatigued.
So many kids struggle with attention and sensory problems and this can help them to function in the classroom.
Research indicates that the use of stability ball seating improves focus, academic achievement and core strength. These orange plastic balls can help them experience success and a brighter year in second grade!
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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. Mathews and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.