Every day I am excited to discover what new ideas my students will come up with. I teach eighth grade English, and I am in love with how innovative, creative, and ingenious middle school students are. However, one of the biggest challenges I have in teaching middle school is keeping eighth graders excited about reading.
Students need high quality, yet age-appropriate​ books that span a variety of reading levels.
I would like to continue to build my classroom library.
My students have varied reading levels, from beginning readers to highly advanced readers. I have students with Special Education, at-risk labels, and English Language Learner labels. On the other hand, I also have students on my team who are in two year advanced math and consistently score several grades above their age in multiple subject areas. Additionally, my school district unifies two neighboring communities: one with newer families moving in with the other having low-income students. This can create a large divide in the opportunities, experiences, and ability levels of my students. Having enough books to meet the range of learners can be a huge challenge.
My Project
Each year, about 43.6 million American adults (or 18.1 percent of the total adult population in the United States) suffer from some type of mental health issue like depression, bipolar disorder, OCD, anxiety, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), schizophrenia, or ADHD. Just over 20 percent (or 1 in 5) of children, either currently or at some point during their life, will struggle with a mental health issue. That means in a class of 30 thirty students, at least 6 have had or will have mental health concerns.
As much as adults might want to shield kids from confusion or concern, health professionals actually recommend educating children and teenagers about mental health concerns.
Sources state that "when they receive the correct information, it helps dispel common misconceptions and stigma, and provides them with the knowledge and resources they need to understand a particular illness and why they – or someone they know – might struggle" (Ponti).
I am asking for high-quality and age appropriate books that feature characters who struggle with mental health concerns. This literature can open up a dialogue between students and adults about the myths and facts surrounding mental health and help students see that they are not alone if they or someone they know is struggling with this.
Thank you for considering helping me add this important literature to my classroom library!
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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. J. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
