Books Help Me Understand Myself and Understand the World
Help me give my students every opportunity to see themselves in the books that they read. "The Hate U Give," "The House on Mango Street," and more are relevant to the world today.
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
My students are creative, lively, and full of personality. They want to learn, and they will jump into their lessons very quickly. With that being said, some of our supplies and resources are not in good condition. We are a Title I school, and many of the students rely on the school for a free breakfast and lunch. They do not have many of the opportunities that other members of the Delaware County community have. Despite these disadvantages, they are willing to work hard in order to improve their future.
One of the best ways for me to help my students achieve that better future is by teaching them reading skills.
I want to help prepare them for high school by exposing them to texts that they will encounter in the future. By learning the necessary reading skills now, I am hoping to prepare them for what is to come. This is why I strive to provide them with reading material that will challenge and engage them.
My Project
When I first began working at my school, I was shocked at how little my students read. As a result of this, I decided to assign reading homework to my students every night. They must read a minimum of 20 pages a night, which means that my students end up reading many books throughout the year aside from what we read in the classroom. I need to constantly replenish my classroom library. This means that I am constantly scouring book sales for new books to keep my library fresh and to replace lost or sometimes destroyed books. Unfortunately, many of the book sales do not feature books that showcase representation. The majority of my students are minority students. I feel that it is imperative that all of my students can find books that speak to them, whether that be through similar cultural backgrounds or through similar life experiences.
In addition to seeing parts of themselves in the books they read, I want the books to also encourage them to think deeply about the world around them.
What truths do these characters identify about themselves or about the stereotypes that can suffocate them? How can a single person help change the world? My students are so limited in their scope of the world due to socioeconomic issues that are beyond their control. Books are a gateway to new thinking and new understanding.
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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. Heston and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.