Just as adults, children deserve a beautiful place to work and learn. A classroom environment should reflect the way children experience and navigate their world. I need materials to turn my early childhood classroom into an environment that is more responsive to the sensory needs of my classroom.
To say my students are diverse is an understatement.
I teach a full inclusion early childhood class at an urban public school. My class is composed of students with and without disabilities who are racially, economically, and linguistically diverse. My students confirm my belief that humanity is essentially good and inspire me with their ever curious and creative spirits. I want to provide for them an inspiring environment in which they can thrive and feel comfortable to grow and learn.
My Project
Our classroom carpet is the place where we go to meet as a community, it's where we start and end our day. It is so vital that it lends itself to the calm, comfortable community space we want to create. I am requesting a carpet that is designed with natural colored seating squares. These neutral colors will allow children to process information better than they would be able to on distracting multi-colored carpets and will be more appealing to those students who are sensitive to excess visual stimulation. The squares designed on the carpet will aid in group meetings by providing children a clearly defined space and are also great for gross motor activities. Additionally, I am requesting florescent light shades to filter the harsh classroom lighting that many of my students, especially those with sensory sensitivities, find uncomfortable. Studies show that calming colors in classrooms improve students' levels of concentration, reduce tension and anxiety, and promote positive performance.
"In order to act as an educator for the child, the environment has to be flexible: it must undergo frequent modification by the children and the teachers in order to remain up-to-date and responsive to their needs to be protagonists in constructing their knowledge."
Children learn from their surroundings thus making the learning environment not just a workspace but an educator.
In order for the classroom to be an effective teacher it must be tailored to meet the needs of its students.
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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. Coppola and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.