Students arriving hourly to our room are greeted by their 5'11" teacher at a door covered in Stanford womens' basketball posters. College pennants adorn the back wall while math terms, math memes, and anchor posters immerse them in a language-rich and stimulating environment.
My students are much more than a class label.
I teach 7th grade Common Core math which is considered "grade level" but for many, it is wrongly perceived as "less" - because there are two other advanced level math classes offered in 7th grade. I also teach Math Support. Last year I taught advanced math as well but when I was asked to step in to teach support this school year, I jumped at the chance and quickly asked to be removed from the advanced class. I want as many students as possible twice. No one in "advanced" math needs "math support" and I want to reach as many struggling students as possible.
"Class is already over!?!!" is a comment I hear daily. I strive to make the most of every minute of each period because I see them just four days a week on our rotating seven-period schedule. Math needs daily practice and dialogue.
My Project
"No student is born knowing math, and no one is born lacking the ability to learn math." It took me 28ish years to figure this out for myself. I had a fixed mindset about my limits as a math student before mindset was an education buzzword. Preparing to transition from a multiple-subject sixth-grade teacher to a single-subject middle school math teacher resulted in me becoming a growth mindset person and also helped me discover a love of math that was untapped for far too long. I don't want my students to wait 28 years. Help me further gain the skillset to invoke a change in my students' mathematical mindset. I've read her books, I've utilized her rich website and have watched her videos, but now enable me to hear Jo Boaler in person and learn from her youcube team at nearby Stanford University.
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. Ferrario and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.