I believe an effective teacher is a teacher who constantly embraces the voice of his or her students and allows that voice to be translated in a variety of mediums as this is where explanations of human differences can take place. Whether it is a weekly forum to address classroom concerns or a lab designed for students to explore a topic of interest, students need a sense of belonging in a world that, at times, fails to acknowledge their existence. In my few, short weeks within the classroom, I’ve realize that my students are very powerful and I’ve been trying to find ways in which to funnel that energy in positive means.
Unfortunately, I teach marine biology and marine ecology to approximately 100 students at an under-resourced charter school in a high-need community and finding such alternatives can be difficult.
The marine science curriculum at our school is completely nonexistent and supplies are at a scarcity. This makes my job as a marine science teacher extremely challenging as I try to develop highly engaging lessons with meaningful labs. The students have been asking all year to do dissection as they did not do it last year in biology class. This is their chance!
Therefore, I would need not only 15 Dogfish Shark specimens, but dissection kits, trays and booklets to meet my students' requests. This project will not only help my students understand the anatomy of a marine invertebrate, but also help engage them in the world of marine science. This dissection will also serve as college preparatory lab as many of my students want to have post-secondary science careers. If they never had lab experience prior to college, how can they succeed once they are there?
Perseverance is a virtue that few people have yet to embrace let alone fully understand because it is that which will break the walls of impossibility in a world consumed with negativity. There is one group of people however that collectively embrace and accept this idea that perseverance will eventually pave the path for a better tomorrow, especially for our children: our educators.
The relentless pursuit of this ideal is what begins to make educators outstanding leaders in and out of the classroom because it is this in which all other inherent qualities of effective teaching will begin to surface as well. Educators that have and maintain this vigorous vision will always maintain a sense of possibility which is extremely vital in setting the bar high for academic excellence. You can join this commitment by supporting this project as it will certainly help to break the walls of impossibility in my students’ world.
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 Mr. Brennan and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.