This teacher needs your help!

Ms. Brazeal from Lawndale, CA is requesting supplies through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

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Fully Funded

Ms. Brazeal's classroom raised $447

Help a Teacher in a No-Budget Year!

My 8th grade Language Arts students need construction paper, a homework station, "what I know, what I want to know, and what I learned" pocket chart, 40 privacy partitions, and 30 lap whiteboards and markers to help them engage more deeply with literature.

Ms. Brazeal Will Rogers Middle School

Lawndale, CA Grades 6-8

Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.

This is a tough year for California teachers, especially newer ones like me. I teach 8th grade Language Arts in an economically disadvantaged suburb of Los Angeles. I teach five Language Arts periods a day, as well as an intervention class that supports students who need some extra help. We have no money. None. Zilch. Anything I want for my classroom--tape, glue, books for the library, and very basic things like paper and staples--comes out of my pocket. And while I'm glad I was able to keep my job after so many teachers received pink slips last year, I simply cannot spend any more money on my classroom. Teachers are always under pressure, however, to try new teaching methods, to meet the goals of high-stakes testing, to get students more and more engaged in their learning. All this takes materials, materials the school can't provide, but we need nonetheless. Last year, as seventh graders, 56% of my students were rated proficient or advanced in the state English/Language exam. 86% were proficient or advanced in the state writing exam (compared to the school's average of 36% and 75%, respectively). I'm lucky to have these students again this year, and I'm hoping to make even greater gains, despite the fact that our students' scores usually take a huge dive in the final year of middle school. I have found that the best way to ensure student success is to create lessons they find deeply engaging. This often means group work and lively class discussions. It also means genuine assessment--tests that continue to teach. I'm requesting a variety of materials that will facilitate student engagement in Language Arts, and that will help them to continue to succeed on the state exams. These are materials that we will use throughout every one of our units. The KWL ("What we know, what we want to know, what we learned") chart will help students share ideas and monitor their knowledge, especially when we read historical fiction. The whiteboards aid classroom discussions, as the kids are able to gather their thoughts before volunteering to speak. As a result, more students want to contribute. Many of my students are still in the process of learning English, and I know that the whiteboards will help them have the confidence it takes to participate. The construction paper will allow us to do fun projects that encourage deeper interaction with text. I often use art to help students identify plot elements or to isolate important quotes. The homework drop off station will allow me to quickly organize so I can get to teaching. The privacy partitions will help students focus on assessment, or work on journals without distractions. Some of my students with autism might also use the partitions to avoid distractions while writing. Each time we finish a novel or nonfiction text, we'll return to the KWL chart, so students can see how much they've learned. These materials aren't just for one week or one month. My class will use them over and over this year. I'll also be able to utilize them for years to come. Many schools have parents who will jump to donate to teachers, or education foundations that raise hundreds of thousands of dollars. I have Donors Choose and people like you. Your donation will help make the Language Arts curriculum accessible to all of my students, thereby increasing their scores on tough state exams. This is a huge gift.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

More than three‑quarters of students from low‑income households

180 students impacted 4 donors

Project tagged as

Lawndale, CA
Grades 6-8
Literature & Writing
Literacy
English Language Learning
Traditional School
Supplies
More than three‑quarters of students from low‑income households

Ms. Brazeal Will Rogers Middle School Grades 6-8

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Lawndale, CA View local requests

More than three‑quarters of students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

180 students impacted 4donors

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes

Materials Cost Quantity Total

TA50AC - Construction Paper - 9" x 12" - Assorted Colors • Lakeshore Learning $0.99 10 $9.90

JJ447 - KWL Pocket Chart • Lakeshore Learning $29.95 1 $29.95

JJ689 - Privacy Partition - Set of 10 • Lakeshore Learning $19.99 4 $79.96

JJ627 - Turn-In-Your-Work Organizer • Lakeshore Learning $29.95 1 $29.95

KC70 - Write & Wipe Lapboard - Set of 10 • Lakeshore Learning $28.50 3 $85.50

DD338 - Best-Buy Write & Wipe Thin-Line Markers - Class Pack • Lakeshore Learning $27.95 2 $55.90

Materials cost			$291.16
Vendor shipping charges			$29.12
Sales tax			$21.11
3rd party payment processing fee			$7.28
Fulfillment labor & materials			$17.00
Total project cost			$366.00
Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms			$80.34
Total project goal			$446.34
How we calculate what's needed
Total project goal			$446.34
3 Donors			-$430.59
Donations toward project cost			-$366.00
Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms			-$64.59
Excluded support for DonorsChoose			-$15.75
Still needed View calculation Hide calculation			$0.00

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

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Project Activity

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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. Brazeal and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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Help teachers & students in your hometown this season! Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.

This teacher needs your help!

Help a Teacher in a No-Budget Year!

Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

Project tagged as

Boost your odds

Top rated for efficiency and transparency.

TEACHERS, FEELING INSPIRED?

Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes

How we calculate what's needed

Project Activity

Project Activity

DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

Help teachers & students in your hometown this season!
Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.