My students need age-appropriate, social-emotional stories to assist them with processing the complicated issues (grief, trauma, etc.) that they are dealing with.
The students that I work with are special education students with a multiplicity of needs, though they share one important characteristic: they all attend a highly specialized alternative school where they receive individualized services. These students come from a variety of backgrounds; however, the majority of my students come from low socioeconomic status households and many students have experienced trauma. To assure students' needs are met in the school setting, and sometimes at home, teachers, social workers, and other school staff often use our own resources to secure the items necessary for meeting the needs of our students.
My Project
L. R. Knost once said, "When little people are overwhelmed by big emotions, it's our job to share our calm, not join their chaos." This quote best describes the impact that these books will have on my students. Students who are struggling with an issue, such as the death of a parent, are unable to function well in the classroom, and they need a way to process these emotions. Grief Is Like A Snowflake by Julia Cook provides characters that young children can relate to and a thought provoking plot that will prompt a meaningful discussion. These resources are very versatile and can be used while working with students one-on-one or with a small group.
The resources purchased with your donation will assist students in processing strong emotions and also reinforcing important life lessons.
With these resources, students will learn about an array of social emotional topics, such as bullying, their classmate who has autism, etc. These books will allow students to learn more about themselves and their classmates which will result in a more cooperative learning environment.
By providing students with the resources needed to facilitate meaningful discussions about topics that impact their daily lives, students will have the opportunity to talk through their emotions instead of acting them out. I look forward to seeing the impact that the social-emotional growth of individual students will have on the classroom as a whole.
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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. Williams and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
