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
I teach English as a second language. My students attend an urban Title I middle school in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee. All of my students come from other countries in hopes for better education and greater opportunities for their futures. Because of the low income setting, almost every student lacks the basic literacy skills necessary for them to become professionally and personally successful.
On top of that, my students face the struggle of having a language barrier.
Almost all of my students are from Guatemala. Most of my students arrive in the United States speaking Spanish, but several of my students speak one of the many Mayan dialects spoken in Central America.
Coming into a new country, learning the new language, adapting to the unfamiliar culture, plus being expected to learn the academics can be very overwhelming for this population of students.
My students find comfort in being able to read the few bilingual books I have in our classroom library. I want to teach them English while encouraging reading comprehension and the love of reading.
My Project
I have about three or four bilingual texts in my classroom library that my students run to when we have independent reading time. I want to encourage and support their love of reading while also teaching them English and reading comprehension strategies. By having bilingual and Spanish texts in our classroom, I can support reading comprehension in their native language while also teaching them English.
I see how frustrated and discouraged my students get when they have long English texts placed in front of them and are expected to read and understand.
I want to take away this frustration and discouragement and replace that with love and enthusiasm!
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. Russell and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
