Michelangelo once said "I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free." This class set of books will assist me in carving my students into the beautiful angels they are capable of being, and setting them free to engage in their education.
Our school is a large Title One school in Brooklyn.
We are a community school who doesn't have entrance exams, family interviews, or any other prerequisite for admission. We educate every student who walks into our doors. Many of our students come from struggling families where there simply isn't enough of anything, especially in the year since Hurricane Sandy. In school we do the best we can as teachers to meet our students needs. We love our students, and our students love us. I am a 9th grade English Language Arts teacher. The majority of my students have Individual Education Plans, and need extra care to truly learn the material. Many of my kids have a history of being unsuccessful in school, often coming with very challenging home lives. I give them what I can. If they are hungry, I'll give them my lunch. If they need clothes, I'll buy them clothes. This can be expensive, but I've come to realize if I don't give them my lunch or replace sneakers that have holes no one else will.
My Project
While my students have struggled in school, many of them do enjoy reading. Throughout my career I've always had a classroom library in which they can borrow books from. I supply all the books for the library, and often the books aren't returned. In recent years the library has really dwindled, making it nearly impossible to sustain an independent reading program. In an effort to revamp our independent reading program, I plan to have all of my students reading the graphic novel "Skim". Graphic novels are a great choice for independent reading because they easily engage students. Students would read the novel for 15 minutes every class period, and then complete Common Core assignments. The program gives students a safe time, place, and opportunity to engage in literature independently. Throughout the process students would engage in Socratic seminars about the literature and their insights of it. The program has been very successful, but without these books it will be no more.
This set of books has the potential to be life changing.
The books will allow students to engage in reading. Encouraging them to read on their own; an activity most of the students do not do. In past school years, because of the independent reading program, students began going to community libraries after school instead of hanging out on dangerous streets. Thank you for assisting me in my continued work to carve my kids into angels to be set free to learn. I am forever thankful.
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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. Fiore Cardillo and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
