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.
My Students
What inspired you to do well in school? My students often need help with being motivated. Living in a low economic urban neighborhood can be challenging and often presents many obstacles to getting an education. Having something positive to work towards makes it possible for them to do their best.
Our middle school is an oasis in the middle of some of the toughest neighborhoods in California.
My students live in neighborhoods where there is a gang presence and drugs are readily available. They come to school despite these distractions because they all want to go to college one day and make their families proud. Statistics tell us that despite these goals, 50% of them will drop out, and most will make that decision while they are in middle school. Having a way to be positively motivated to do well in school helps to turn that statistic around and begins to close the achievement gap.
My Project
In my Drama class students work together in groups to earn points for being on time to class, bringing all of their supplies, doing their homework, classwork, and following the class expectations of behavior. Things that are not only important in my class, but in any area of higher education or work that my students may choose to go in to. At the end of the week the group with the most points earns a raffle ticket. An Ipod Touch would be a fantastic top prize and would be a way to motivate students to do their best. In our Drama class students work to improve in the area of our class objectives; observation, concentration, trust,imagination,self-confidence, and ensemble building. These aren't just Drama skills these are essential life skills. Therefore,by helping my Drama students to succeed in my class you are helping them to learn essential tools that will serve them for the rest of their lives.
By motivating students to do well in my class you are motivating them to succeed in education and in life.
Students are less likely to drop out of school when they are successful in these areas and have a class like Drama to look forward to. By motivating my students you are closing the achievement gap and keeping students from dropping out of school.
Nearly all 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
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 Ms. Tarr and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
