Our school is in a low socioeconomic area, and it is a Title I school. Our district provides only a few essential school supplies, and it falls to the teacher to provide some basic classroom necessities.
Many students come from homes with little or no parental support, and they need us to meet needs that go beyond state standards.
It takes more than worksheets to help students get ready to move on to a higher grade. They need to have their confidence built up and be secure in their ability to demonstrate proficiency in a subject. They are ready to learn and are waiting to be set up for success!
My Project
This school year looks a lot different from years past. Not only do most of us wear masks and dry our hands out with copious amounts of hand sanitizer, we also have to view our students through the blurry sneeze guard barrier that is supposed to keep the virus contained should one of my students be carrying it. We also spend almost all of our learning time at our desks, which is an enormous difference for first grade, where we usually have small groups, work in pairs, come to the small group table to work with the teacher, or even sit with desks arranged in clusters.
Having clipboards will give my students the ability to take their seatwork, clip it, and sit on the floor, take their work outside, or work with a partner, all from a safe distance.
Will it be the same as the collaborative teams of yore? No. But it is a small way to teach my first graders how to work together to complete projects, however small. Collaboration is an important social skill that they need to be taught, as well as given opportunity to practice! We need more people who can work together to solve problems!
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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. Martin and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.