Currently, there are 9 students in my classroom diagnosed with severe intellectual and physical disabilities and we refer to our group as the Super Scotties! During their years in high school, the Super Scotties have an opportunity to be included with their general education peers who volunteer in our classroom as peer tutors. We have between 50-70 different tutors who volunteer in our classroom throughout the school year. This program is beneficial for bettering our school climate in terms of inclusion for all students, as well as giving general education students a safe space on campus to feel welcomed and appreciated. The students who volunteer in our class are active in many different academic and extracurricular activities, so they have a lot on their plates. Similarly, my students are learning how to do everything while they are at school and this can be overwhelming at times. All of my students have wonderful hearts and benefit when they feel loved and accepted by others.
This project is all about creating a sensory space for my students that can assist them in learning meditation, mindfulness, and self-control. Additionally, students will use this space to learn about our environment here on earth and the differences between environments across the solar system. This room will be transformed into a place that feels light years away.
In terms of Lucy, the general education student who has created this project as the capstone of her high school career, she will learn not only about service to others, but also about the technical components involved with installing the different pieces of this project.
In Their Own Words
I want to make this room feel like you are in outer space. The sensory room is okay right now, but it has boring beige walls and carpet and curtains. It doesn't feel like a place where kids would want to relax or learn- it isn't a place that inspires the kids who use it.
I am going to be learning how to install removable wallpaper to cover the entire room. I have never done a project like this before, so I have a lot to learn about how to install these wallpaper panels properly. I think that when the special education students see me doing this, they will be inspired to learn how to do new things too.
Transforming the sensory room in the special education classroom is going to be my gift to the students I have been working with for the past two years. When someone is having a bad day or is stressed out, they go to the sensory room to calm down. Other kids use the sensory room to focus when they are working because it is less distracting than the classroom. I want to make the sensory room a better place for the kids who are using it everyday. I chose a space theme so that they can feel like they are in a totally different place when they walk into the room. It will help them to be more calm at school. Also, it will be a fun place for the kids to learn about outer space because they will feel like they are there.
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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. Fleming and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
