Deep in the mountains of West Virginia, on the river bank of Coal River, you will find a small town with only one stop light and the campus of my high school. I have spent most of my life in that high school, I graduated from there, my parents graduated from there, and I returned to teach and to give back to the community that raised me. A lot has changed since I graduated from the same high school that I graduated from. The coal mines have fallen, leaving hundreds of men without jobs. The opioid crisis is devastating in my area. My students come from broken homes, homes without heat, homes without parents, and the lowest income families you can imagine.
I want to give my students a warm, inviting, and safe classroom that allows them to be themselves.
I want to give my students the flexibility to control the way they learn and control their environment, since many of their home lives are so out of control. I want to teach them how to acknowledge what they need and how they learn. My goal is to give the students a better home at school.
My Project
This furniture will provide students with the ability for them to pick not where they WANT to sit, but where they NEED to. It will help them to recognize their learning styles and abilities. This type of seating will help bring a warming environment that moves away from desks in rows and more towards collaboration and discussion with their peers. I imagine reading novels like To Kill a Mocking Bird and my students discussing with one another Atticus' views on racism during the period and how it differs from others. Students being able to have flexible seating is proven to be beneficial. Students who are uncomfortable are less productive. I want to provide them with a safe and comfortable learning environment.
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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. Milam and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
