This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
Barack Obama said "Our most important task as a nation is to make sure all our young people can achieve their dreams". My desire as a teacher is to help my students figure out what their dreams are in this moment. Being a preschool teacher can be a challenge as the students are figuring out the rules and where their place is in the world.
My students are filled with wonder of the world around them and come up with new ways to describe what they see.
I want to create an atmosphere where the children are free to dream and free to be themselves. I want to be able to give them new experiences in and out of the classroom. Teaching them not only right from wrong but how to love one another as well.
They love to build, play pretend, draw and play with dolls. We are working on understanding emotions and how our actions can affect the people around us. New toys, books and instruments that expand their creativity, problem solving, imagination and understanding of the world around them will make a difference in their lives.
My Project
Maya Angelou once said, "in diversity there is beauty and there is strength". It wasn't until I became a teacher and mother that I truly understood this quote. My father would encourage my siblings and I to read books about African-Americans in history as well as African History to make up for what we didn't learn in school. My mother found us books, especially picture books, by African-American authors so that we could see ourselves in the pages. These experiences helped shape me into the strong, confident woman I am now.
My desire is that when my students see themselves in these books, they will not only develop a love for reading but they will know they are seen and are significant.
I have chosen books that represent a variety of ethnicities. These books will encourage my students to ask questions about people who live in other countries and spark the desire to one day travel there. My goal is to open the door to a world outside of their own.
Many of my students have a Hispanic background and at least half of them speak and/or understand Spanish. While I may not speak Spanish fluently, some of the books are bilingual so I can interject some Spanish words to help my students understand what is being said. These bilingual books will help myself, my co-teacher and other students to learn new words and give us a chance to communicate with those who may still be learning English.
I believe when my students begin to recognize and celebrate their differences, they will have a hand in breaking down racial barriers when they get older. This is just the beginning of a new way of seeing the world and making a difference for their future.
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. Claypool and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
