My seventh graders are easily some of the most energetic, driven, creative and empathetic young people I've met in the course of my career. They come from a spectrum of socioeconomic and family backgrounds, all hailing from the modest neighborhoods surrounding our rural school, flanked by a giant redwood forest. Enrollment has been steadily declining the past few years as the economy shifts. About 10-15 % of my kids are homeless.
Like most 12-13 year old kids, my students are consistently and brilliantly random, crave novelty, and are prone to getting hooked by a particularly good story or enthusiastically offering their opinions when a relevant topic actually grabs their fickle attention spans.
As a noob to the school this year, I heard many anecdotes about this particular group: the class of 2024. Some said their sixth grade year was a near disaster, in part due to a shortage of teachers at the small school and consistency in the classroom. Mostly it seemed like a large number of students had come from genuinely tough circumstances, and needed to be retaught to hold themselves to higher academic and social expectations. I firmly believe they will rise to the challenge this year.
My Project
Since I first entered my barren classroom, I have dreamed about building a library chock full of new takes on old history, fiction that bends mind and plants the seeds of empathy, and graphic novel series that are just, well, "lit" as the kids might say.
While I have purchased a few dozen books and comics on my own to get it started, my personal funds are woefully inadequate, and my legislative funds have been funneled into furnishing basic classroom supplies as I begin my assignment at an incredible, small rural school in Northern California.
Thus, I'm embarking on my first DonorsChoose.org project to convey the need for my 130 something students to have a surefire place to access quality and relevant print and text.
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 Mr. Mitchell and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
