I currently am a 4th grade teacher in a low-income/high poverty elementary school where 90% of students, and their families, are living below the poverty line. Due to their socio-economic status, families are receiving free and reduced breakfast/lunch at school daily. My students face many life challenges at a young age, which may include transiency, single family homes, incarcerated parents, neglect, abuse, as well as many more. In addition, 70% of our population are English Language Learners, with students transitioning in from Mexico, Iraq, and Syria, just to name a few. It is my desire to be the structure and/or the constant in their young, chaotic lives.
While some would say this population is challenging, I would say I am beyond blessed and grateful to work along side them.
Despite their circumstances, each child brings an innocence and a joy into the classroom that motivates and inspires me. The students love to learn, read, and write, in spite of their past and current situations. Personally, I love the challenge of reaching all of my students and I am dedicated to finding the best tools, resources, and materials in order to create informed citizens and lifelong readers.
My Project
As a teacher in a low-income/high poverty school, my students lack exposure to current events nationally, as well as globally. It is my goal to expose students to a wide range of topics, subjects, and stories from around the globe. Time for Kids magazines will provide my students access to the importance of people, events, and issues in the news. Time For Kids is a weekly news magazine that engages students while exposing them to nonfiction writing. This weekly magazine offers different themes, topics and current events which directly correlate to the Common Core Standard of reading informational text. In addition, currents events are engaging and will motivate students to research, explore, and learn more about topics of interest on their own time.
This useful instructional tool will build language, vocabulary, reading comprehension, problem solving, critical thinking, and listening skills.
In addition, my readers and writers will be able to use the news articles as models for how skilled readers and writers construct meaning and relay ideas to others.
Exposure to current events can provide students with a more well-developed, educated, and informed outlook when dealing with others. I believe it has the ability, if used correctly, to teach tolerance and an appreciation for those different than ourselves. News reading is a life skill and it is my hope that one day when I greet my students at the door in the morning one of them will say, "Did you see the news last night?"
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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