My classroom is a special day class for students with moderate to severe disabilities. We operate on an alternative curriculum that emphasizes functional skills along with academic ones. My students are intelligent and hardworking, but they need a high level of support to grow and thrive. I have seen so much progress just this year!
One student has gone from struggling with CVC words to reading kindergarten/first grade level texts.
His confidence has skyrocketed as well, and he now says things like "I'm a rockstar," or "Yes, I did it!" Another student has become independent over the last year. He used to require support to transition all over campus, and he now does so by himself. He loves doing this, and it makes him feel like he fits in with the other students in his general education class. He will be moving on to middle school next year, and instead of being nervous, he is ready for the challenge!
I know that everyone says this, but my students really are the best! They have helped me more than I have helped them.
My Project
In my classroom, my students operate on alternative grade standards. Due to this, there is no set grade curriculum that I teach. I try to create my own curriculum that is individualized to student needs and skills. The calendar will be used for our homeroom routine. I love to have students participate and do the calendar themselves, and a magnetic calendar will make this easier. It will allow my students to manipulate the pieces on their own and it will keep everything organized.
The language arts curriculum that I am creating includes using a variety of picture books to teach my students both about literacy and life skills (positivity, holidays, kindness, etc).
I currently borrow these books from the library, but if one is unavailable or takes too long, I have to use youtube videos instead (and they are not as good!). These picture books will help me give my students a thorough and well-rounded language arts curriculum for August through November.
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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 Ms. Damodaran and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
