My students need stand up desks to accomodate the various personalities and learning styles of our classroom. We would also love a dry erase table for sharing ideas.
Remember being asked to sit, listen, be quiet, and not bother your classmates? This is a very hard task for the creative minds of young children! We have a different vision in our classroom. Students are given choices for work stations, encouraged to collaborate, and celebrated for their creativity.
My students are a lively bunch of second graders.
We have a diverse group in terms of economic and cultural backgrounds. They love learning and working together. They are independent and enjoy their autonomy as learners. We built a learning garden last year and take advantage of that. Every year I have more students who are diagnosed with ADD or ADHD. Traditional instruction methods are challenging at best for these students. Traditional classroom arrangements are also a problem (tables and student desks). While I have crafted my instruction to meet the needs of all my kids, adjusting the learning environment physically is more difficult. I have tried to utilize the resources available through the school however, most of the furniture budget is allocated to new buildings.
My Project
The standing desks I have requested will be used by all students as an alternative work station throughout the day. We currently have a system where students share desk space and alternate using tables or other work stations. The standing desk would be a particularly good alternative for the students I have who are often fidgeting or unable to sit for longer than a couple of minutes. The dry erase table will be used as a creative space for small groups working either with an adult or independently. Students will be able to collaborate and share their ideas with this public record that does not waste paper or other resources. Kids LOVE to draw models and share their thinking. We do not have dry erase boards on our walls so this would be an excellent substitute.
These items would significantly impact my ability to manage the different learning styles and needs in my classroom.
Allowing several of my busy students to have a standing work space where they can move their feet without distracting classmates would be amazing! The dry erase table would be a much needed collaborative work space. The kids would have another place to work together, share ideas and solve problems. The table format would make it easy for a teacher to facilitate discussions.
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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 Ms. Kellogg and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.