My sophomores are adjusting to high school and they're in a stage of life where they're excited to become independent, but they still "secretly" rely on mentors around them. Because of this, they're energetic, enthusiastic and willing to listen. The juniors are becoming more confident in who they are and this means they like to speak out more, question more and collaborate to create a stronger sense of community in the room.
These students are driven and independent; they interact well with one another and they allow themselves to be pushed to think critically.
Each student brings something different to the classroom. Each student has unique desires and needs. Their individuality helps drive our classroom and what our conversations look like. They are bubbles of energy.
The community is truly a melting pot and we are one of the most diverse schools in our district. We're a majority of Caucasian, Hispanic and Latino with a sprinkle of other ethnicities. The area is also a mix of blue collar and white collar. Despite this big divide, our school is amazingly unified and inclusive. The students recognize differences and work to emphasize one anothers strengths instead of tearing one another down.
My Project
One of the most important factors to engagement is autonomy and choice. When students can choose what they want to read and have the autonomy when reading, they are going to be even more engaged. While we continue to teach classics and important skills that will lead to higher learning, we can also develop that love of reading.
As much as extrinsic motivators can help accomplish school goals, unless kids are intrinsically motivated, they will not engage as successfully.
Informational books such as "The Dark Game: True Spy Stories from Invisible Ink to CIA Moles" will interest someone completely different than someone who wants to read the romance "To All the Boys I've Loved Before." Those who enjoy history but feel overwhelmed by nothing but words, can enjoy "Alexander Hamilton: The Graphic History of an American Founding Father."
Overall, these texts will give students the ability to choose and find that autonomy that they crave as teenagers. They will have access to stories and ideas that actually interest them. Even the best of readers won't read if they're not interested in the story; these novels are meant to grab the attention and engagement of any student in my room.
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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. Jones and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
