"If kids come to us from strong, healthy functioning families, it makes our job easier. If they do not come to us from strong, healthy, functioning families, it makes our job more important." I believe when students walk through the doors of their classroom, they should feel safe and at home.
Our students symbolize a colorful rainbow of personalities that compliments the setting of our school, that rests in between a landscape from the mountains of our backyard, to the ocean breeze that greets us at our front steps.
Each student signifies a color in the spectrum that presents a unique and special quality to our classroom. They come from all walks of life that has taught them perseverance and survival at an early age of life.
A great percentage of our students come from low income families that are raised by their grandparents or relatives, while their parents are incarcerated, or struggling with substance abuse. It makes our calling and job more important to ensure that all our students feel welcomed and belonged in school and in their classrooms. All 30 students take pride in their jobs and responsibilities to promote a safe and functioning learning environment that will impact their learning to become lifelong learners. Together they paint a masterpiece in our classroom!
My Project
We presently use leftover furniture, that lacks the ability for us to freely move to support our students, but especially gives our students a limited amount of space to engage in various activities and projects. Although we would have idealistically want mobile desk chairs to allow our students to freely move in collaborative and inquiry learning, we selected the closest furniture that met approval and budget costs. The 30 desk chair will surely provide our classroom the space we need for team building and project-based learning.
Each student is self-directed and challenged to collect, organize, analyze, and reflect on their student work. The 180 hanging file folders and tray holder, will assist them to put all their assignments, work, assessments, and projects in an organized manner. This will provide them the ability to create a well organized Student Portfolio.
Some students learn better to meet their goals through movement, and the gaiam ball chairs will definitely help.
These donations will truly make a tremendous difference to our classroom learning environment that will impact student engagement and achievement.
The free space will encourage them to associate and collaborate with their peers and educators, as well as function without congestion. This environment will give us all a sense of pride and belonging, just like a home should feel like! Having our students' feel belonged, gives them an identity, and purpose to society.
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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. Utai and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
