67 different cultures are represented where all are present. Most of the students are at-risk, but because of these challenges, they are very accepting and caring of others. Our students are friendly, shy, outgoing, and super sweet. The high school is one of the larger high schools in the state, but sometimes, we lack funding for new novels. Overall, I work at a high school where teachers truly care for their students and often times use money out of their own pockets for resources, including me.
In addition, because our school is so diverse, often times students aren't able to have books that represent them.
My Project
Within my classroom, students have independent reading (SSR) every period. My students are very diverse and represent 67 different countries. Not only are they racially diverse, they are culturally diverse including many students who indentify as LGBTQ, are questioning, or an ally. Our library has some of these books, but as a new year comes along, new books come out. In addition, sometimes the books are unavailable to check out. I keep a classroom library, and the donation to this project would allow students to have access to them. One of this year's top reads is What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera, both of whom have written LGBTQ teen novels.
Overall, these books would help students see themselves within the book.
That's the power of books and specifically adolescent literature. Students are able to read books with themes that are relevant to them while meeting Common Core Standards, gaining new vocabulary, comprehension, and creating a theraputic mindfulness of calm.
If you donated to this project, you can sign in to leave a comment for Ms. Gonzalez.
DonorsChoose is the #1 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. Gonzalez and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
