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
My students are incredible. They come from a wide variety of backgrounds including different countries, cultures, and languages. They also have an incredibly impressive range of interests, passions, and hobbies.
A place where we all come together and connect is our classroom library.
Books surround us. We talk about them, share them, suggest new books to read, discuss their themes in morning meetings, and give spoiler alerts on the playground.
My Project
In March 2020, back when the threat of coronavirus loomed largely, many of us realized that school closures were coming. We thought our school would be closed for two weeks… three weeks max! I loaded my students up with books, allowing each of them to take multiple books from my personal classroom library home with them, to keep them occupied and reading over the school closure. Two weeks became three, three weeks became a month, and then, finally, we got the news that schools would be closed for the remainder of the school year.
I recently cleaned out my fourth-grade classroom and was hit with just how much of our classroom library is gone.
And I’m glad! I’m glad my students were able to take a piece of our classroom home with them and cling to it in this extended time away.
However, looking forward to the next school year, I want to be able to provide my new students with a robust classroom library that they deserve. Now, more than ever, I’m inspired to provide my students with incredibly inclusive texts. Books can provide a mirror for my students into their own lives and help them feel understood. They can also open their eyes to other cultures, backgrounds, and experiences, helping to widen their worldview and foster more understanding of humans.
All this is to say that I’m asking for your help. I’ve included a list of books that I think would be fantastic new additions to help restore our classroom library. Give what you can, if you can, and know that I am already so incredibly grateful. Thank you!
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. R. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
{"pmaHash":"","schoolCity":null,"showProjectRecommendations":true,"teachersOnPage":[7257550],"isTeacherViewingTheirOwnProject":false,"hideTeacherDetails":true,"schoolState":"DC","teacherPossessivePronoun":"her","PMsManager":null,"schoolGradeType":{"id":2,"name":"Elementary School"},"TeacherPMForms":{},"proposalId":5256422,"proposalMessageFormModel":null,"numActiveProjects":0,"completingDonationAmount":0,"teacherHasClassroomPhoto":false,"proposalURL":"https://www.donorschoose.org/project/inclusive-books-for-my-incredible-studen/5256422/","verifyShowPhotos":"","eligibleToBeCopied":false,"mayHaveReplacements":true,"numStudents":56,"teacherScreenName":"Ms. R.","isEquityFocus":true,"authorIds":{"7257550":{"owner":"Ms. R.","donationSalutations":{}}},"displayedPercentFunded":1.0,"proposalsOnPage":[5256422],"proposalHash":"596000009","isApplePayMobileOnly":true,"progressBarPercentage":100.00,"pmaId":"","teacherProfilePhotoURL":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/136/teacher-placeholder-1_136.png","teacherHasProfilePhoto":false,"currentWorkflowStatusCode":21,"teacherChallengeId":21602337,"photosPublished":false,"queryString":"","DonorPMForm":null,"isApplePayEnabled":true,"fundedByTarget":false,"activeProject":null,"donorIdsForImpactPhotoCheck":[],"teacherId":7257550,"schoolCounty":"District Of Columbia","fullyFunded":true,"isStudentLed":false,"isExpired":true,"schoolStateObj":{"code":"DC","name":"District of Columbia"}}