Do you remember what your bedroom looked like when you were in high school? Your car? Your backpack? Most likely a mess! My students are no exception; they have never been taught how to get organized, and cannot afford the supplies to help them do so.
My students are all members of the Navajo Nation.
Fully 100% of them qualify for free breakfast and lunch, and about half live without any electricity or running water in their homes. Many live in a traditional one-room hogan, and all have a lot of responsibilities at home.
My Project
My students have a lot on their minds and on their to-do lists. Many of them ride the bus an hour each way to school, and by the time they get home, they have to hurry and chop wood for the night before the sun sets. They live without electricity, so they often cannot study or complete homework assignments at home; there is simply no daylight left for them. As a result, it is imperative that my students maximize their practice time during the class period so that they can master the material before they go home. We use whiteboards every day to do quick checks of each step in a math problem, and then to work individually or in small groups to work through entire problems by themselves. The novelty of the boards helps students stay engaged, whereas paper-and-pencil days become a grueling battle to stay focused. I have also requested binders, dividers, and page protectors so that they can organize their materials and proudly display their "mastery trackers."
My students need supplies to stay organized, which will in turn allow us to operate more efficiently.
The more we can expedite the class routines, the more time we will have to practice the new concepts presented each day. Once we reach the practice portion of the period, the students are compliant and in fact enthusiastic to practice if they can use the whiteboards. Unfortunately the markers run out relatively quickly since each class uses them every day.
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. Rhollans and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.