My students are a unique group of individuals who come from a variety of diverse backgrounds. Rapport is a never ending process in our district. Building bonds with my kids is the most important foundation to increasing their desire to learn. My students come from predominantly lower income neighborhoods. Over 50% of my students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Currently in our township (22 square miles) we have 5 mobile home parks and one low income condominium neighborhood. They struggle. On snow days and other days off (especially summer) I always worry about where they are eating, do they have heat/ac, do they have reliable shelter over their head. I want my classroom to be as welcoming as possible, as comfortable as possible.
In my room, students need to feel comfortable to begin to partake on the learning process.
I try to create an atmosphere where students feel compelled to work hard, focus on content, and achieve to their highest potential. My students come from some of the most horrible situations, school is their "jam", their "vibe", where they become life-long learners. Poverty, homelessness, hunger are a regular occurrences within
My Project
My classroom was, for years, a sterile clinical lab. In the past year I have been begging, borrowing, and searching the area for cheap rugs. The calm the rugs bring over the students is amazing. It livens up the room when it needs some energy and calms the fears during high stakes testing.
I tried to pick designs that would both be engaging and energizing, but add to the content studied in the room.
The world map rug will pay tribute to the copious amount of world history we study. The high five hand rug demonstrates the willingness of all the students to learn and achieve to their fullest potential.
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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. Gatio and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.