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.
My little ones are talented, intelligent, curious, creative, witty and clever but they have been diagnosed with autism, oppositional defiant disorder, ADHD, and ADD. While, some are motivated to thrive and succeed, others need someone to lift their self-confidence so that they can start to dream of success. I teach in a classroom where you hear "I can't" more than "I can". Our school serves children who come from low socioeconomic households where many parents have not completed high school. In our school, 99% of our students receive free lunch and some are in shelters.
The labels these little ones carry can sometimes become their identity and hinders their ability to dream big.
So, I dare them to dream of a world filled with infinite possibilities by creating projects that require multiple intelligences. It is through these projects that I can see a smile of confidence because they have uncovered a talent they never knew existed and that smile of wonder is my aim. It is as if they were awakened and the labels are beginning to peel off their drooping faces so that the talent that was once hidden has now been revealed!
My Project
These stools will help us to achieve our goal of flexible seating which has proven to help students stay on task, engage our students who are our reluctant, struggling learners, and it will help us to meet the needs of our learners. The stools are more than for just sitting. They help us to provide a learning space that screams choice and "I am valuable and I belong!" This idea of fitting in is important to help our students develop confidence, take risks, and engage in collaboration with their peers so that they can dig deeper into learning in spaces that they are able to move into and feel a sense of comfort.
Research has shown that spaces that are arranged like the "Starbucks" classroom enhance the neurons in the brain thereby resulting in students having an open mind to listening to each other, providing feedback, as well as asking questions.
So we do hope that you will see the value in meeting the needs of the learners, not just academically but also as a whole body to mind approach that welcomes learners who need to stand, sit on a low stool, or just find a higher stool and a space they can call their own!
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. Rahaman-Seuram and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
