My students come from a low income area. All students have free lunch. My students' home lives are not easy. For West Virginia, we are considered an inner city school. My students deal with more adult-like problems than most. Many of them have younger siblings they are responsible for. Because of this, we emphasize leading by example in our classroom. My students have risen to the expectation and have done exactly that.
My students are strong and resilient.
They are eager to please, and are always willing to lend a helping hand. However, learning does not come simply to them. They work hard to learn, but they are so excited and appreciative once they know something. They instantly are ready to share their knowledge and help others. Throughout this year, I have not only watched them grow exponentially as students, but I have watched them grow into wonderful people. They are cooperative, helpful, loving, and they have learned that being positive helps you learn. I am so proud to call these students mine.
My Project
Having a class rug will allow me to create a stronger classroom community. In second grade, we start to introduce comprehension skills using think alouds and read alouds. During these times, we have in depth conversations not only about what we read, but how it relates to the students and their lives. I've found that the more comfortable the students are the more willing they are to open up and participate.
My students have truly learned to love reading this year.
We have daily stations where the students are allotted time to independently read a book of their choice. However, keeping focused on reading has been problematic at times. To combat this, I have provided pillows and benches for them to use as reading spaces. My students will also lay on the tile floor or sit under a table to create a reading space that allows them to delve into their book. I believe that a rug will create a more comfortable place for my students to engage in their reading. They have worked so hard to increase not only their fluency, but their confidence in themselves to actually be able to sit and enjoy a book without feeling discouraged. I feel that providing this for them will encourage them to continue their reading and show that I support them and the hard work that they have put in.
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 Mrs. Rohrer and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.