My students are a community of learners from every background imaginable, from Nigeria to the Philippines; from Iran to Guatemala, not a single student has the same story. However, many of them share the same experience of feeling like they do not belong. Whether it is because of language barriers, personal trauma, or the hateful and xenophobic speech that has become common place in our social and political media; many of my students do not feel safe here. However, when they are at school and when they are in our classrooms, they can belong.
Every day, I get to work with 150 brilliant 9th and 10th graders from Oakland that were once strangers but will soon become family.
They each have their own stories, dreams, passions, and hopes for their lives; but they learn to see and love the differences that make them unique but also connected. They are the reason I show up to work everyday and their joy and passion keep me going on my worst days. They teach me what it means to be human and they challenge me to bring my best every single day.
My Project
I hear it every day, "Mr. Stoker, I'm hungry, do you have any snacks?" "Can I go to the Wellness Center to get food?" "Do you have a Band-aid? Tissues?" Every time one of these basic needs comes up and I don't have a solution for my student, the challenging mental work of learning is that much harder to reach. Valuable class-time is lost as students have to search elsewhere for their basic needs to be met.
Nobody can do their best when they are hungry, in pain or in need; but you can help!
This package of snacks, tissues, first-aid supplies, and binders are the basics that my students need to learn and be organized. Budget restraints means that even basic supplies like tissues and binders are not available for students, so I have to find a way to supply them.With 150 students, I cannot meet all of their needs on my own, that is why I need your support!
Last semester, generous donors like you helped provide similar supplies for my classroom, and the students soon knew that they could get their brain snack from me. I want to continue to provide my students with snacks and supplies to keep them in class, keep them focused, and let them know that there is a community of people out there who care about their most basic needs. Thank you for your support and generosity, your donation will go a long way with the young people at Oakland High.
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 Mr. Stoker and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
