"Oh, no! What happened to your voice, Ms. L?" Earlier this year, I took a few days off for minor surgery and unexpectedly returned to the classroom with a paralyzed voice cord and a weak, whispery voice. My students are full of questions about this change.
My urban middle school students, many English Language Learners, begin the year reading well below grade level.
Some are learning to read for the first time, after years of interrupted schooling; others are still mastering English as a new language.
School can be challenging for these students, but they work hard to strengthen their reading and writing skills. Building academic vocabulary is an especially important part of helping my students prepare for high school. My students are curious about the world and enjoy researching new topics together as a class.
My Project
I am asking for a collection of easy-to-read books on sound and the respiratory system. These books will help my students understand how the voice is produced and why I can no longer speak loudly.
The mechanisms of voice production are part of the respiratory system. Reading books about the respiratory system and lungs will help my students learn key academic vocabulary as they answer their questions about my voice disorder. The physics of sound are also involved in voice production; these books will provide an introduction to the production and transmission of sound waves.
My students are doing a wonderful job of adapting to the current limitations of my voice, but the change to our classroom routines has been profound.
The cooperation of my students---along with a voice amplifier!---has made the adjustment much easier for me. I would welcome the chance to reward my students by creating something a little positive out of this mishap.
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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. Livingstone and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.