Every student enters my classroom with a unique set of strengths and needs, yet teachers are supplied with materials that allow a limited scope of children to be successful. I believe all children can learn when given the supports that match their needs.
I teach 2nd-grade TWI (two-way immersion) at a diverse school in Evanston, IL.
TWI is a program in which students who are native speakers of either English or Spanish have the opportunity to become literate in the two languages. We spend most of our day learning in Spanish, though I provide my students with English language instruction as well. Students come to school excited and eager to learn. I am proud to be a part of a highly dedicated faculty that works to improve the lives of all students through education and offers a safe, warm, and welcoming environment in which they can learn.
My Project
Kids learn so much when they read fiction - they are internalizing narrative structure, they are learning new vocabulary, they are being exposed to different experiences, and more. Our writing curriculum also shows kids that authors can be mentors that we study to improve our own writing.
My writers this year would really benefit from a collection of mentor texts by a wonderful author, Kevin Henkes.
With these books, we will have a source of engaging reading material as well as guides to improve our narrative writing. We will notice how Kevin Henkes organizes his story across the pages, how he balances dialogue, description, and action, how he shows feelings instead of telling them, and we'll notice the special word choices he made. These books will be enjoyed twice - first as great texts to read, and then as "teachers" for our own writing.
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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. Fane and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
