Help me give my students a book club experience, exposing them to quality literature like I Am Enough by Jessica Sargent, which will allow them to see themselves as the heroes of their own lives.
My students…how do I put into words the young minds entrusted to my charge that will grow and change the world through respect, creativity, energy, excitement, knowledge, problem-solving, and collaborating…I don’t. Instead, I spur them into action by constructing an environment filled with opportunities that challenge them to think and grow beyond anyone’s wildest imagination.
My students come from various cultures and socioeconomic levels, but in my class they are a family of learners, growing through experience, mistakes, trials, determination, perseverance, hard work.
I tell my students to dream big and in return, they challenge me to dream bigger. They do not want to be bystanders in their learning but at the center of the action creating, constructing, and exploring. The focus is not on the learning of today, but the education they will need to make a lasting impact on the world of tomorrow.
My students are my heroes. In a world where I can be anything, I am thankful and honored to be their teacher. However, I cannot be the teacher my students deserve, and I aspire to be without help from the outside community. You are the dream makers.
My Project
Dan St. Romain is an expert in the field of behavior. He teaches students and teachers how to shift their perspective to support the numerous challenges posed by today’s society. He uses various children’s literature to help young learners connect with their own feelings, attitudes, and behaviors to grow a strong body and mind. Quality literature allows students to see themselves by encouraging them to connect with the characters in the text, empowering them with new strategies in self-regulation, and challenging them to use what they know to make good choices. Each of the books selected for implementation in this project: I Am Enough, Me First, and Listen Buddy all address the many challenges hi-lighted by Mr. Romain.
Book clubs provide an authentic purpose for reading a text closely, deepening a readers’ appreciation and understanding of a common text.
They provide an arena for my students to process and interpret the perspectives and opinions of their peers. By using a book club approach, my students all have an opportunity to use their voice to express their ideas, thoughts, and feelings. Allowing my students to grow independently, together.
Seeing themselves in a variety of texts, through different characters' experiences, provides each book club member with a kaleidoscope of possibilities to use in their own lives. Whether the outcome of the story is a personal conviction or cause for celebration, every student has an opportunity to learn, become, and grow into a stronger and better version of themselves.
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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. Spiker and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
