I have the best job in the world. I work with 7th graders who have disabilities that impact their academic performance. These include specific learning, health, emotional, and cognitive disabilities. These students are, for the most part, participating in general education classes. I get to work with them as a co-teacher in English and Pre-Algebra. I also get to work with them in a small group Strategies class which gives them time to work on strengthening executive functions including organization and time management, as well as practicing a variety of study skills.
The time I spend with my students is the best part of my work day.
This year, I have one of the best group of students I've ever had. They make teaching more fun for me. We work on building fine motor and gross motor skills, visual spatial skills, memory techniques, etc. Together, we've worked on escape rooms, gingerbread house building, logic puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, and cooking. The kids love having a variety of activities, especially when it doesn't feel like school work.
One of the best things about my students is that they have great ideas and suggestions. They are helpful, respectful, and lots of fun!
My Project
One of my least favorite aspects of the public school experience is the whole 'desks in rows' approach to furniture. You won't find people sitting in cubicles at Google headquarters. By the time my students get to Strategies class, they have been sitting at desks for close to 3 hours. I have been working on creating an environment with a variety of furniture available. We have a bean bag chair, several floor pillows, a bench, and an adjustable drawing table. But some students want to stand as they work.
It's time to add Stand-Up Tables to the learning environment.
My students benefit from being able to choose from a variety of work surfaces. We will benefit from adding a stand-up height table for individual, partner, and small group activities. The stand-up table that I selected has adjustable heights. This will allow us to set the table at the optimum height for the different height students. (Seriously, in 7th grade we have kids ranging in height from under 5 feet to over 6 feet.)
The more physically comfortable kids are, the more they can focus on their work. Students with attention and focus issues benefit from allowing their bodies to work on balance and to use up some energy. This allows students to focus more on work than on getting themselves comfortable.
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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. Tegge and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.