Get Out Of The Chairs And On The New Classroom Rug!
The cost of this campfire rug from KidCarpet.com is $501, including shipping and <a target="new" href="http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm" onclick="g_openWindow('http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm', 300, 800, 'fulfillwindow');return false;">fulfillment</a>.
As the 5th grade writing teacher at KIPP Infinity Charter School in Harlem, I would love to have a rug for my students next year. I teach 80 fifth graders in three sections, and 80% qualify for free-lunch.
I believe that a rug will be critical for my students' learning next fall. It will serve as the primary location for instruction. For instance, from the very beginning of the year, the students will meet on the rug for the first 15 minutes of every lesson. This is a time for my direct instruction, a moment for them to "turn-and-talk" as pairs, try new skills, and give each other feedback. After this close-knit instruction, the students will then be sent back to their desks to complete work on their own.
At the end of every lesson, I will call the students back to the rug, where they will share their new learnings, share the progress in their writing, and give suggestions to other students about how to improve their work.
We know from research and the workshop model of teaching that a rug serves as both a physical and mental space that improves focus. Because of the close proximity to the teacher and each other, students have a better ability to concentrate and give feedback to each other.
Additionnally, a rug will serve as the primary location for community building and classroom meetings. Classroom meetings are a time for everyone to sit in a circle, share-out praise, concerns, and peer mediation. Building classroom community in a shared circle every morning before formal instruction serves as the framework for everything else we do at KIPP Infinity Charter School.
This year, I was unable to purchase a rug, and my 5th grade students were required to sit at their desks all day.
I am asking for the largest rug, because I have 28 students in each section, all 10-12 years old.
Thank you for your time and attention.
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