From Messy to Methodical: Helping First Graders Get Organized
Help me give my students the ability to keep their school supplies organized! The Winsome Halifax Storage/Organization 7 drawer cart will house 100% of the student's supplies. I need 5 carts, one for each table.
My “firsties” are amazing! They are already halfway through first grade, (can you believe it’s 2020?!), and they have come so far already. They are all very unique, but they come together and help each other regardless of their differences. We really are like a family, (with 21 kids and one mom trying to keep up with it all!), and the classroom feels like our home. It’s a safe space for us, one that we (try to) treat with care and respect. My students do really well with taking on different roles of responsibility in the classroom. They keep their areas clean and organized throughout the day by using plastic bins to store their items. In our classroom, we have tables instead of desks, so 100% of the student’s supplies are stored in plastic drawers next to each table. At least once a day the plastic drawers pop apart, resulting in the top bin spilling all the contents on the floor, crayon boxes falling and bursting open, and chaos ensuing. Luckily, my students are so quick to help each other, and do so with a cheerful heart!
My Project
When I say the word, "school supplies", what pops into your head? I would imagine pencils, paper, crayons, scissors, and glue would be some of the first things. These are all things students need to be active learners in the day-to-day of First Grade. School supplies are essential for lessons to be effective and for students to engage in their learning. What is equally as important if that these materials are readily available for the students to use.
If a student cannot find his or her materials, this creates a "speed bump" on the road to learning-slowing down not only the student, but the teacher and the rest of the class as well.
In my classroom, there are 5 tables where students sit as a group. Currently, next to each table is a plastic bin with 3 large drawers. Each drawer houses all of the materials the students at that table will use for our different assignments and activities. I have had these bins for less than 3 years, and they have already cracked and become fairly difficult to use.
These bins are negatively affecting our classroom on a daily basis in 2 major ways:
1. They pop apart, creating a big mess. The cleaning up and repairing of the drawers wastes essential teaching time.
2. Students can never find what they need, and have sometimes gone weeks thinking a library book was lost...when it was just in their drawer. This is partly due to the fact that there are too many folders in the limited drawers.
Getting durable, reliable wooden drawers with 7 sections would eliminate both of these major issues. The wooden drawers would never pop apart, and there would be enough small drawers to house the supplies in an organized way.
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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. Overby and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
