This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
To learn about our urban middle school, one can find many data points to develop an understanding of our school. We have 80% receiving free or reduced rate lunch, 14% are English Language Learners, and 14% are Special Education. Violent crime waxes and wanes, although this year seems to be one of the more violent years since I have been teaching here. Knowing this, one might feel like they have a pretty accurate mental picture of our school.
However, none of these carefully measured statistics measures the bravery, resilience, and joy of our students.
You can't look up statistics on our highly successful PBIS program, our robotics team, or our annual school musicals. The state doesn't collect data on the way our students form friendships that cross the lines of nationality, language, and ability.
A vast majority of our kids wake up and show up every day, no matter how the cards are stacked against them. They show kindness to each other, grit and perseverance in tough situations and a zeal for life and learning. For that, they command respect and equity, not sympathy or pity.
My Project
Our large school population shows how we have built a great reputation in our district for a warm school climate and culture. This also means that our classrooms and hallways are packed tight with growing, energetic pre-teens.
The addition of clipboards and outdoor storage to our garden space will give teachers the tools they need to move their classes outdoors in the warm Spring and late Summer/early Fall.
Clipboards will give students and groups a study, secure writing surface. The dry erase feature provides a way for teachers to easily survey students as a check for understanding. The storage boxes will keep everything in a central location, so teachers don't need to worry about tracking them down during a busy school day.
Lastly, our hope is that making our garden space an easy-to-use outdoor classroom will increase how often is it used. Many of our students are not allowed to go outside in their neighborhoods or apartment complexes for safety reasons, so our secure garden space is a precious opportunity for them to enjoy nature and make cherished middle-school memories.
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. Brooks-Gallardo and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
