My school is situated in a fairly rural college town with a diverse population. The diversity of the students and their needs presents interesting challenges for everyone.
I teach students living below the poverty line, children of college professors, well-traveled military children, International Fellows from among 80 countries, children of local farmers and of the immigrants that work for them, refugees from Bosnia and Syria, and more.
These kids are wildly different, presenting a beautiful diversity in our small town.
These students bring with them a variety of needs, and the vast differences between students in any given class mean there is a strong need for differentiation among my students, not just in material taught, but also in the manner of teaching and the layout of the classroom. These students bring different strengths and also different needs to my classroom, and they all learn differently.
My Project
We ALL learn better when we are comfortable. I'd bet that at home, you often work on a couch or even in your bed, comfortably dressed and situated, maybe with a cup of coffee in your hand. But our students—wild, energetic teens—spend each day sitting in small, hard chairs, cramped beneath standard, uniform desks, often sitting for almost an hour in each class.
I am hoping to make my students truly comfortable while they learn in my classroom.
This project will bring new desks and tables to my classroom for collaborative learning in authentic spaces - around tables, in comfortable chairs, much like they will experience in a "real-world" office environment. I treat my students like adults in the difficult, collaborative work they are expected to complete; with this project, my classroom will provide an adult environment in which they'll engage that challenging work.
This project will fill my classroom with a more natural, non-fluorescent lighting that will bring calm and comfort to my room. Furthermore, students will be able to select THEIR ideal work space from a variety of choices - some will elect to sit at high-top tables in comfortable, no-back stools; others will prefer to work on the floor on bean bag chairs or in meditation zafus; still others prefer standard chairs and desks, but will find comfortable roller-chairs and large, collaborative desk spaces; students who squirm and struggle to sit still can sit on yoga balls, where they will be able to direct their restless energy to their chair and still focus on the task at hand.
This gives my students power and control—something so few teenagers truly have. I am looking forward to seeing how environment can help to push forward all of my educational goals and initiatives.
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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. Park and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
