A typical day in my classroom begins with laughter. Whether it's conga lining on our way to the library, to chanting the helping verb song to earn a class reward, to our quiet signal where I shout "MIZ" and the students answer "ZOU," I make sure they know we are a family.
My students are good-natured kids.
Our school spends a great deal of time teaching the kids about what it means to be a good person in the world. We talk about accepting everyone and their differences, whether its looks, learning disabilities, etc. A lot of my kids have various learning hurdles to overcome. We have a larger group of kids this year in 6th grade, so our class sizes are bigger. We also have a lot of kids who struggle with ADHD, and with the bigger class sizes, we sometimes have trouble with our impulses and our energy levels.
My Project
Fidgets are small toys that keep the kids moving when trying to focus. They help kids keep their hands and bodies moving so that they can pay attention to the lessons that may be going on without disrupting any of their peers. Students focus on themselves, versus trying to get negative attention from their peers. Fidgets help the kids focus on their own success, rather than the distractions that are constantly happening around them. Students, regardless of an ADHD diagnosis, take control of their own bodies. Currently, I have stress balls in my classroom, but I'm finding that these are often too tempting and the kids get in trouble for throwing them. I think it's important to teach kids strategies that can help them weave through their lives and educational careers. It gives them a sense of control over their bodies. These fidgets Stress Balls and Squeeze Toys or Fidget Pencil Toppers that I'm asking for allow the kids to still be themselves and move throughout the day without being disruptive to other students in the room.
My hope is that I can teach my students that their learning disabilities won't get in their way.
I want them to know that there are strategies and tools that they can use to help them control their impulses and to help them focus. I want them to not only be aware of the strategies that are out there but also recognize when they are needing one, when they notice that they are getting off task, etc.
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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. Phillips and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.