I teach amazing fifth grade students in a small elementary school in beautiful San Ramon, California. My students come from diverse cultural backgrounds and socio-economic situations. My classes come together as a class every day in a meaningful way. My students each have their own learning struggles and strengths, yet each child's individual needs must be met in our fifth grade classroom.
WDES serves students in grades K-5 and provides rigorous academics, fantastic teachers, and a safe learning environment.
As a result, we are consistently one of the top-performing school districts in the state every year. My goal is to prepare my students for success in middle school.
My Project
I had a heartwarming conversation with my 5th grade students at the end of the 2017-2018 school year. We talked about what they wished we had in our classroom library. They mentioned some book titles to start. However, the discussion quickly turned to how awesome our flexible seating choices were during the school year, and how they could really "sink in" during workshop because they were so comfortable. Students don't want to spend time reading and sitting at their desks; workshop time is their chance to choose a comfortable working spot around the room. The problem is that seating options often are so loved, they break! Right now I can't offer many cozy spots for next year's 5th grade class. I know that if I fix this seating problem with replacement and new seating options, my students will be able to "sink in" and sustain during workshop in no time!
A classroom should be a welcoming place where students are comfortable enough to put all their attention towards learning.
With only straight-back chairs at desks and the hard floor as seating, students often avoid tasks that require a lot of sitting still, like independent reading and writing practice. With your help, I can transform our workshop practice with comfy seating options!
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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. Rhyne and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.