Experience is the Best Teacher!

Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.

Imagine learning a new concept and it comes to life before your very eyes! As a child, I was lucky enough to have had parents that took me to museums, libraries and other places. Those experiences enabled me to make sense out of what I was hearing about in school. My students at PS 145 have not been as fortunate. To begin with, all of them have speech or language deficits that limit their ability to understand and use language for academic success. Second, most of my students come from poverty stricken homes. Third, some of my students are second language learners who struggle to learn although English is not their first or only language. I toil daily to facilitate the speech and language development of my students. Research indicates that normal children who are developing language acquire their skills by learning from the environment around them. This is even more important for children with limited language and children learning a second language. Having a variety of experiences enables children to rely less heavily on language to understand what they have heard. It propels them toward success. With your help, my students at PS 145, an elementary school in Brooklyn, will have the benefit of going on field trips that will enhance what they have learned in school. Science involves acquiring many concepts and learning a lot of new information. It would really benefit my thirty students to be able to go to the New York Hall of Science and the New York Acquarium. We have not been able to go until now, because the entrance fee is too expensive. The experience will enable the students to observe what they are learning first-hand, thus facilitating their ability to understand, recall and discuss what they have learned. Some of the exhibits are interactive, furthering the students ability to absorb the complex concepts. It will also serve to improve their language skills by giving them experiences they can draw on. Your generosity will improve students' lives. Thank you for caring and sharing.