A Novel Idea: A Diverse and Relevant HS Classroom Library
Help me give my students a classroom library that is truly engaging, socially relevant, and reflective of themselves. This extensively curated list of books is an amazing start to book choices paralleling their lives, imagination, and social pressures.
FULLY FUNDED! Mrs. Steer's classroom raised $699
This project is fully funded
My Students
My students are wonderful young adults, but struggle with the war between apathy and curiosity. I teach English 11/English 12 in a diversely laid out urban/suburban community and my students range from traditional family structures to sleeping on relatives/friends couches.
Many of my students enter at the start of the year with weak writing/communication skills and a disconnection from the human experience, but under the surface is a hunger for reading and drive to expand their capacity to learn.
Many have not fully read a book since 6th grade and it shows in their lack of empathy, critical thinking, and over all reading stamina. Others love to read, but often don't have the time or money to visit the public library or buy their own books. This rawness makes it even more exciting when they find a book that reaches them.
My Project
As a high school teacher, I often see the dim flicker of a light that once burned bright for so many of my students when they were in elementary school. I also see a weakness in their writing skills, reading stamina, and capacity to view all humanity. How do I help fix this? How do I re-spark that flame? After continually analyzing, reading, and discussing what best practices can improve apathy and increase writing, I think we are overthinking the solution. Read.
I can't stop thinking about Barbara Tuchman's words "books are companions, teachers, magicians, and bankers of the treasures of the mind; books are humanity in print." I want to give my students all of that and more.
Junior and senior year of high school is the last few years we have to leave our mark. I think if I can give them a library that they can call their own, one they can see themselves in, then we are one step closer.
I plan to use a revitalized and relevant classroom library, curated with love and filled with current and classic mixed genres, as a pairing to a weekly reading program, mentor sentence grammar exercises, fun reading challenges, peer led book clubs, and cross curricular reading initiatives.
I feel like so many literacy programs, book drives, and classroom libraries are geared towards elementary students, but I feel it is not too late and I want to provided the most engaging and exciting books from all genres possible.
More than half of 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
The To All the Boys I've Loved Before Paperback Collection: To All the Boys I've Loved Before; P.S. I Still Love You; Always and Forever, Lara Jean
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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. Steer and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
