My students need Post-it Notes, highlighters, pencils, voice recorders, and style manuals to use during writing conferences.
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. S.'s classroom raised $497
This project is fully funded
I teach in one of the schools on "the list." My school, in rural Northeastern NC, is in a high-need, low-wealth area, and is working really hard to overcome the stigma and low expectations that come with being named by a state Supreme Court judge as a target for possible closure because of low performance. We're starting to turn around the test scores, but I want to do more. I teach ninth and tenth-grade English, but this project will serve the needs of the entire school, and, with luck, will establish writing as a central component of our identity as a school.
Most colleges and universities offer students a writing center, a place where students can go to get help on writing assignments from someone other than the professor who made the assignment. These writing centers, though they may be led by composition faculty, employ students as tutors, and these tutors work one-on-one with their clients, engaging in writing conferences. Most writing centers also offer support materials for students, such as handouts that address common “issues” with conventions, and provide a space for students to write, either by hand or using a computer. Over the last ten years or so, high schools across the country have started creating their own writing centers, and I want to do the same in my high school.
My principal has given me access to a computer lab that will house the Writing Center, and I can scavenge most of the materials I need from around the school, but there are several materials that we don't have available and can't afford to purchase. We need highlighters, pencils, and Post-It Notes that will be used by student tutors in writing conferences, and style manuals that will be used as a reference by student clients who are working on research papers. We also need voice recorders which are a modification strategy for students with special needs, who often can "tell" brilliant ideas about their topic, but have trouble getting them on paper - this way, they can dictate and transcribe their own ideas.
Writing Centers have clear benefits to students, both as tutors and clients. Tutors learn to become more effective communicators by serving others, while clients benefit from a supportive environment that allows them to work through their writing "issues" without judgment. Conferences aren't about bleeding all over a paper with a red pen; they're about working through ideas and getting help from a peer.
Your help will allow us to get the Writing Center up and running, and will help turn around the self-image of an entire school. Impact doesn't get any bigger than that.
This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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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 Ms. S. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.