My students are a kind, thoughtful children who always put a smile on my face. They are a diverse group representing their colorful community which they love and are proud to be a part of. Our school is a Title One school meaning that most of our students come from low income families and receive free breakfast and lunch at school. When school shut down, it was, and continues to be, a difficult situation for many of our families.
Distance Learning robbed us of the place we felt safe, loved, and supported.
Nevertheless, my students did their best with a bad situation and were able to shine even through Distance Learning. Through the funding of this project, I hope to continue to create a learning environment, digital or face to face, that honors and respects all of my students so that each one of them feels seen, represented, and respected.
My Project
March 13, 2020 was the last day I saw my students. In an instant, miles of distance separated us from each other. Our classroom, our home away from home, had to shutter it's doors and no one knew for how long. We went our separate ways, but kept in touch through Distance Learning, though it wasn't the same. The community we had built was still there, yet just out of reach.
The new school year quickly approaches, and the one question in my mind is, "How can I build a caring, empathetic, and trusting community through Distance Learning?" I have been learning a lot about Culturally Relevant Teaching that emphasizes the fact that students learn more, and care more about learning when they feel "seen." When their life experiences, their home languages and traditions, their identities are validated and reflected back at them, they know that they matter.
They know they are seen. They know they are truly an integral part of a community that cares for them and about them.
This diverse library will help me show my students that even though we cannot be together in a classroom, they still matter. These books will act as mirror artifacts where my students can see themselves being innovators, taking action, and standing up for what is right. These books will help facilitate conversations and understanding that some cultures and beliefs may be different than your own, but they are just as valid. Through these books, we will be able to build a close and caring community, though we may be far apart.
More than half of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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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 Mrs. Valenzuela and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.