In our small, rural Pennsylvania town, over 65% of my students qualify for free or reduced rate lunches. Many of my students never leave our town, much less our state, and therefore, they never get the experiences that come from traveling to new places and meeting new people.
I teach high school ELA, which can be a tough sell for many students, making it incredibly important that what I teach my students is both engaging and relevant.
Including new and exciting reading experiences in my lesson plans is one way to do this. Reading allows my students to travel outside of our small area and see the different cultures and experiences the world has to offer.
My Project
The classic canon includes a variety of very important novels, many of which we read in my classroom. However, contemporary novels are important, too! Giving my students access to modern novels helps increase their interest and engagement, and shows them that there are so many options when it comes to finding something fun and interesting to read.
As an ELA teacher, I find that one of the biggest struggles is simply getting my students to READ THE BOOK.
Usually, if they will just read it, they enjoy it. Providing contemporary novels is a winning proposition for both my students and myself; the students will still be reading valuable texts, but their engagement will be increased by allowing them to read something that is modern.
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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. G. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
