I have the most amazing group of young teens this year. They are from every possible walk of life. This school is one of the more diverse schools in the area. We have kids from every background and every race; and we blend together and learn from each other.
Although our school is located in a small town, we are only minutes from Charlotte.
This creates an interesting mix of small southern families, with exposure to big city opportunities. Most of our kids come from families who grew up here, too. I teach students whose parents and grandparents went to the same school, walked the same halls that they now walk. We have a wonderful tradition of excellence in our school. Our school does things that no one else in the county does, such as the Teacher Variety Show each Christmas that gives the kids a time to laugh at all their teachers. We host a community Memorial Day celebration to honor those who have gone before us. We constantly teach our kids about the "H. Way" that drives our education and character development to higher and higher standards of excellence!
My Project
My students are begging for high interest teen novels to read in their book clubs! When you can't get class started, because a 13 year old boy wants to vent about the decisions that the protagonist in his book made last night that kept him reading to well past midnight, you stop class and talk about that book! Authors such as John Green and Angie Thomas have created worlds where teens deal with real life struggles, and my students are clamoring for a chance to read these books.
These titles were chosen because they represent a diverse curriculum of current and relevant topics, a multicultural approach to reading, as well as some of the best fantasy and coming of age titles of recent years.
When students read in book clubs, just like adults, they talk to each other in authentic conversations about the books they are reading. They dig deeper in to the textual meaning and they analyze what they have read, as well as gain a global perspective from the deeper understanding of life and interpersonal relationships
Books help students to deal with issues such as racism and bullying by self-identifying with characters and learning by reading how the heros of their books deal with these issues. This is a safe way for students to see themselves in the books they read. Please consider donating and help me to touch the hearts and minds of the students I teach through books.
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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. Russell and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
