This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
"Will I ever use this?" I hear this phrase daily, in my classroom full of middle school mathematicians. You can probably think back to a time when you were sitting in a math class thinking the exact same thing. These stations will invest my students in the importance of mastering math skills.
My sixth graders are curious and energetic.
They always want to know what's next, and want to work on their own time schedule. Typical pre-teens! These students enjoy a challenge, but they want connect these challenges with the outside world. Our school is a relatively new charter, and it goes through changes all the time. On a daily basis, my sixth graders take on a lot of responsibility. They face challenges inside and outside of the classroom. Because of these challenges they can be distracted in the classroom. They want to be given skills that will make them stronger people, skills that will enable them to be successful in their future. In the math classroom, worksheets don't show these students why they need math skills. They teach basic skills, but they do not fill the intrinsic needs of my students. The stations provided will increase math skills and literacy, disguised by fun!
My Project
The resources I have requested will allow me to build adequate stations for my classroom. One station provides real world problem solving. This will help students understand how they need math when traveling, planning a party, analyzing sports statistics, shopping, owning a business and performing odd jobs in their community. The next station is one made of math games. This feeds the students competitive side and helps them understand basic operations of math. This station will help with building foundational skills that they may have missed in earlier years. The vocabulary station will help with conceptual understanding. This station will help their math literacy. These stations will allow my students to meet their individual needs and to stay motivated.
This project will help with the root of the problem in our classroom...literacy.
Each activity requires my students to read and to problem solve. They will understand the world of numbers through words. My students are on an average reading level of 3rd grade. How does this relate to math? Math doesn't present itself in equations outside of the classroom, but rather in speech and in conversations. As literacy increases, comprehension will increase. Problems will be solved for years to come.
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. DeLeo and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
