This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
I am a special educator and teacher of intervention classes at Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women, an all girls public charter school in Baltimore City. Our school pulls girls from every part of Baltimore through a lottery. There are no tests or grade requirements to get into the school.
Because I teach both special education and intervention classes, my students are a combination of girls with disabilities and girls who come into our school with very low standardized test scores.
These girls need special supports and extra time to get to the same level as other students their age. Sometimes this means remedial work help to get them on the same track as the other girls, and sometimes this means they need special supports to give them the same access to the curriculum.
Issues that cause students to be in my classes include: physical and learning disabilities, early childhood trauma, and problems at home. Therefore, my students need extra care and advantages to get them back on track for success so they avoid the common traps of failure from frustration and learned helplessness.
My Project
The vast majority of my students show signs of ADD or ADHD. This makes getting and holding their attention a constant struggle. Brightly colored paper attracts and holds the eye. Mechanical pencils hold attraction for students with attention deficits.
My students often forget or lose pens, pencils, and papers, so in order to continue a lesson I supply them.
Mistakes are part of learning, but my students can be very particular about how their work looks. Good quality erasers come in handy.
In order to keep students on track, I like to have the class laid out on a handout for stdentscto follow along. However, paper is at a premium in City schools. Extra copy paper is always needed.
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 Ms. Jessee and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.