My students need new experiences, such as going to the Adventure Park, so they are able to explore the world around them to develop a passion not just for learning, but a joy for it.
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Students
My goal for my students by the end of the year is to instill in them their own self worth and that they are capable of anything. This school is in its second year of a turn around program and unfortunately, many of the students were made to feel as if they had no hope for their future previously.
My school is an inner city turn around school, and one of the bottom in the nation.
Almost the entire staff (except for 4 teachers and an administrator) are new or in their second year. The children were not used to having any structure and most of the time, still resist. I came into this position (as my first full time teaching job out of college) after their first teacher quit after a week due to their behavior and language.
These scholars need a lot of love, but for the most part, are resistant. Many of my students (4th grade) are still reading and doing math skills on an end of second grade/beginning third grade level. This type of academic gap is true among all grade levels. Many of their academic struggles are due to the fact that they have no confidence in themselves as well as a very small desire to learn. The school is slowly but surely turning around but it still has a long road ahead.
My Project
The reason I want them to go on this trip is because the majority of my class are kinesthetic learners. They love doing activities and these activities are when the most knowledge is sinking in. Another reason I picked this specific event was due to the fact that it requires them to trust and believe in their own abilities. They need to believe that they can complete the courses and rely on each other to support them.
The trip is an obstacle zip line course. What that means is that they are attached to a line at all times but may have to cross bridges, rope ladders, hanging bars, or actually zip across the forest. As 9-11 year-olds, that takes a lot of courage. Not only will it help with confidence but it will allow my students to experience first hand the idea of velocity, force, and gravity which we will be learning about leading up to the trip.
All of my students come from poverty stricken homes.
They do not have the means to afford this trip on their own and also don't have the funds to be able to do it outside of school. I think this will have a great effect on many of my scholars by helping them realize a little more of their potential and how much I, as their teacher, also believe in what they can accomplish.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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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. Discenza and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
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