I need to attend the Breathe 4 Change program in order to learn how to better serve my students. After completing the program, I will be able to teach other educators, also!
$1,469 goal
Hooray! This project is fully funded
Hooray! This project is fully funded
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My classroom community is as diverse as it gets. It is composed of students who are English language learners from various countries including China, India, Egypt, and Mexico; newcomers to the country; and foster youth. I have found that the typical teenager has an immense amount of pressure, anxiety, and stress throughout the day before they even come to school. They need social-emotional guidance and a bag of "tools" to help them navigate through middle school.
I discovered mindfulness-based stress reduction after a bad tibia/fibula spiral-compound fracture while playing roller derby and I brought mindfulness back with me when I returned to my classroom.
My students have been engaged and using some of the techniques I've taught them to get through stressful situations and moments when they are overwhelmed.
My Project
Since breaking my leg (tibia/fibia spiral-compound) last year, I have learned a great deal about the struggles and frustration of limitations. With these limitations came anger, a pressure to do better, and stress. I realized that I was not appreciating, accepting, and working with what was given to me at the present moment. I studied Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction while recovering from my injury and then brought it with me when I returned to my classroom. The results have been amazing! Students flock to sign up for C.A.L.M. (Colts Actively Learning Mindfulness) lunchtimes where they participate in a quiet meditation and relax. They have told me over and over how it helps them get their minds ready for tests, helps them with handling problems with their peers, and overall aides them through daily life.
I want to continue my practice in mindfulness in order to help my students have access to more tools to develop socially and emotionally and, in turn, academically.
I will apply what I learn at Breathe 4 Change by incorporating it into my daily routines in my classroom and sharing the information and practices with my teaching community. These tools will help my students navigate through middle school, high school, college and career, and beyond!
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 Mrs. Cahill and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
