My elementary school serves 1st-3rd graders. A huge passion of mine has always been around classroom climate.
I train and expect my students to be independent, hard-working, and cooperative learners focused on setting and reaching their own individual goals.
I offer a variety of seating options including: ergonomic stools, exercise balls, traditional chairs and cushioned benches to sit on every day.
In my classroom I opt to not use overhead fluorescent lighting. Instead I have provided over 30 lamps throughout the classroom to foster a more relaxing environment for learning.
We listen to classical music during our independent work times in the background. Consistency is key. My students know they are safe, loved, and valued. We are family.
My Project
My favorite part of the school day is read aloud. This is the time when my class gathers together, all with a book in hand, and listens to a story being read to them. Reading aloud to students allows them to listen to a fluent reader, thus building their listening vocabulary. We work through a variety of comprehension activities after each chapter or section of our read aloud book.
If we want kids to be good readers, we must help them fall in love with reading.
One of the easiest ways is to read aloud great books.
I am always searching for the next great read aloud and Aisha Saeed really created one in the book "Amal Unbound".
This story is a modern day, realistic fiction story in which the main character, Amal, fights to regain her life and dreams after being forced into indentured servitude. The setting of this story is Pakistan. This will open up the possibility to extend the story by completing a research report on the country of Pakistan.
"Amal Unbound" has also been selected to be a "Global Read Aloud" for the year 2018. Global collaboration is necessary to show students that they are part of something bigger than themselves. That the world needs to be protected and that we need to care for all people.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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. Heather Stewart and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
