Help support Ms. Slayton's Classroom

The materials that I included in my first Donor's Choose project are inspired by me trying to achieve the space I want for my classroom as a second-year teacher. My students are as perceptive and keen as any other - and they deserve a space in their school days that invites them to open their minds & hearts, as we explore literature and its universal truths. As adults we know that reading in our daily lives doesn’t look as structured as it does in most schools - silently or in groups, at a desk, and all too often, without a choice. Funding floor cushions for the classroom, a more comfortable seating option, takes the next step to modeling the “real world” we prepare our students for. The significance of “practice how you play” makes a difference when you consider that students “practice” every school year for 12 years, before game time graduation and “the real world.” Some of my requests are simple - glue sticks, scissors, and colored construction paper - but they’re not included here because they won’t be in my classroom otherwise, but because otherwise, I’d be buying them myself. Even students ages 14-19 need tactile, hands-on activities with cutting and collaging and color, like re-enforcing original poems against construction paper to be displayed around the room, or using markers for a group project poster, to add more life to the work and grab viewer’s attention. These simple things teach larger lessons, in advertising & rhetoric, in discipline and focus. When my students come to our classroom, they are so much more than just students, so I have to try to teach the whole person, each one of them, in the case-by-case, moment-to-moment dynamics of our shared learning environment. In my vision, these materials will jump-start that journey.

About my class

The materials that I included in my first Donor's Choose project are inspired by me trying to achieve the space I want for my classroom as a second-year teacher. My students are as perceptive and keen as any other - and they deserve a space in their school days that invites them to open their minds & hearts, as we explore literature and its universal truths. As adults we know that reading in our daily lives doesn’t look as structured as it does in most schools - silently or in groups, at a desk, and all too often, without a choice. Funding floor cushions for the classroom, a more comfortable seating option, takes the next step to modeling the “real world” we prepare our students for. The significance of “practice how you play” makes a difference when you consider that students “practice” every school year for 12 years, before game time graduation and “the real world.” Some of my requests are simple - glue sticks, scissors, and colored construction paper - but they’re not included here because they won’t be in my classroom otherwise, but because otherwise, I’d be buying them myself. Even students ages 14-19 need tactile, hands-on activities with cutting and collaging and color, like re-enforcing original poems against construction paper to be displayed around the room, or using markers for a group project poster, to add more life to the work and grab viewer’s attention. These simple things teach larger lessons, in advertising & rhetoric, in discipline and focus. When my students come to our classroom, they are so much more than just students, so I have to try to teach the whole person, each one of them, in the case-by-case, moment-to-moment dynamics of our shared learning environment. In my vision, these materials will jump-start that journey.

Help teachers & students in your hometown this season!
Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.

Ms. Slayton's Classroom Edit display name

Support her classroom with a gift that fosters learning.

Support Ms. Slayton's classroom with a gift that fosters learning.

About my class

About my class

Help teachers & students in your hometown this season! Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.

Ms. Slayton's Classroom Edit display name

Support her classroom with a gift that fosters learning.

Support Ms. Slayton's classroom with a gift that fosters learning.

About my class

About my class

Help teachers & students in your hometown this season!
Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.