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
Was your journey through adolescence graceful and carefree? Idyllic? Peaceful? Dreamy? Or was it more like mine: bumbling, fumbling, and stumbling! Adolescence can be tumultuous, but my students are developing practice to find the calm in the middle of the storms that arise in their lives.
Because we are a charter school in an urban setting, my seventh and eighth grade students arrive from more than a dozen zip codes in the City.
They are a vastly diverse group, representing many walks of life. We are a Montessori school which means we value peace education, community, and collaboration which is integrated into the curriculum. Our school includes pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade.
My Project
This year we introduced a Mindfulness Meditation curriculum to our Adolescent Community. AC students are learning ways of identifying their stressors and how to handle them appropriately. Because this is new, my students have limited resources available to them. The yoga mats and meditation cushions will provide quality materials for them to use to put into practice the lessons they are learning around self-care. Otherwise, they will continue to sit or lay on the bare floors, or remain seated in the classroom chairs -- which is not always conducive to the activity. The materials will help encourage those who are still shy around the practice, and improve the comfort of those who are eager to learn.
Because of our urban setting, some of our students face daunting challenges while others enjoy secure and safe lives.
Nevertheless, adolescence is a journey to adulthood that is fraught with uncertainty, and every adolescent faces stress at some point or another. The materials I have requested will help to ensure they are practicing the skills and acquiring the tools they need to lead healthy, happy, and more peaceful lives. These are the kids I want in MY community!
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. Dorman and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.