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
The entire student population of my school receives free or reduced-price lunch. Most do not have money for simple things like basic school supplies, book bags and clothes. If we're being honest, as a whole, urban public school children are often largely overlooked, dismissed and underestimated.
Despite these obstacles, most of my students are admirably college-bound.
It is my goal to get a hundred percent of my students to college, but without preparation, which they achieve through completion of my projects and assignments, they will be ill-equipped for the expectations and stipulations of college coursework.
With that said, I try and provide my students with literature, resources, opportunities and technology that mirror those given to more affluent school districts. As a lot of my teaching style relies on positive reinforcement and the realization and strengthening of personal strengths and integrity. I strive to show my students that their worth is not dependent upon what school district or zip code they grew up in.
My Project
I teach Advanced Placement (AP) Senior Literature & Composition, which is a college-level class taught at the high school level.
However, gathering the materials I need to support my curriculum are entirely my responsibility.
Given that teachers in my district have only received the most minimal of raises of the past ten years, I am unable to suffer the cost of these materials myself.
Now, as for why I am asking for a slew of study guides: I am not the type of teacher who professes to know everything. In fact, I think a great deal of the respect I receive from my peers and my students stems from the fact that, when asked a question I don’t know the answer to, I admit that “I don’t know” and I commit to finding the answer.
This goes the same for my AP Literature class. Sure, I spent my high school, undergrad and graduate studies reading, studying and analyzing literature, but (try as I might) I am not a human SparksNotes or CliffsNotes. I realize that there are things I miss, things I don’t know and things I haven’t even thought of. However, I always try to be the best for my students. With that said, I try to combine my own observations and analysis with that of the scholarly research that has already been documented and vetted.
With these study guides I will be building on my own analysis (standing on the shoulders of geniuses, as they say) and passing this knowledge along to my senior AP students.
Please help me in expanding my knowledge and expertise, so that I might be a better educator for my students.
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. Harshman and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
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