My students need a class set of "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian", a novel by Sherman Alexie. No book has ever engaged my students more successfully.
FULLY FUNDED! Mr. Fritz's classroom raised $511
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 Students
"But I don't like to read!" These words sum up the Reading Teacher's biggest challenge: finding material students WANT to read. I borrowed a set of Sherman Alexie's "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" last year, and have never seen students so engaged. They LOVED it.
We are a large Middle School in Arizona.
Our population is mostly low-income, and mostly Hispanic. We also serve most of the Native-American middle school students in our district. We are challenged with large class sizes, limited resources, and the discipline issues common to poorer communities. Our students are bright, creative, clever, talented individuals. They struggle daily to balance the promise of a rewarding future through education against the harsh, everyday realities, distractions, and temptations of being an adolescent in a low income community.
My Project
It's quite simple: STUDENTS MUST BE ENGAGED. During last year's reading of "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" I asked students to raise their hands if they were enjoying the book. In EVERY class, nearly EVERY hand went up. I cannot express how unprecedented that is. These kids typically say they don't like to read. After Reading Alexie's book, student after student made a point of telling me they like reading now. THIS IS THE ONE! That special book that a empowers students with a love of Reading, the most absolutely essential skill for success in our society. Not only that, last year's Response to Reading involved creating sketches like the illustrations in the story. Again, students actually ENJOYED their homework. "What? I'm done? Can I do more?" Unheard of in my 10 years experience. This year's project will be a personal picture diary. Each student will create their own story of struggle, heartbreak, triumph, and the search for identity.
This project will change students' lives.
Discovering the love of Reading will empower them beyond any classroom. But it won't happen without the books. There are no books to borrow this year. We must have our own class set. Please help! Donate whatever you can to help our kids
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 Mr. Fritz and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
