This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
My fifth grade scholars come to school eager to learn and connect, despite hardships in their home and community. The majority of our 400+ students come from low-income families, and all of our students receive free breakfast and lunch at school. They have access to a variety of helpful resources, such as Title I resources, but often they need extra assistance and support. We start each day by reaffirming our core values of being kind, respectful, cooperative, peaceful, and safe, and I feel passionate about ensuring each of my scholars knows they can achieve anything they set their minds on, regardless of hardship, challenge, or obstacle.
My students deserve the best, and I believe that starts with a classroom library that reflects their diverse needs and cultures.
My expertise is in English Language Arts, and I do my best to make sure my scholars get instruction that meets them where they are to help drive them forward. My teaching model includes a short mini-lesson of direct instruction followed by small group learning while the class reads independently from texts at their level that they get to choose themselves.
My Project
"Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection we can see our own lives and experiences as part of the larger human experience." - Rudine Sims Bishop in "Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors"
The students I teach come from a wide variety of backgrounds, but unfortunately, my classroom library does not reflect the cultures and reading levels of my students.
It’s important for kids to see themselves in the books they read. It’s also important for them to see the experiences of others to build empathy. My students deserve to read texts that reflect their cultures, and they also need more books available to them at their unique reading levels, which is why I have set out to diversify the library in my classroom.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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. Kinkelaar and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
