In the 2015-2016 school year, 20% of my students were African American, 43% were Hispanic, 35% were Caucasian, and 2% were other race. As you can see, my students are racially diverse and I believe this creates an atmosphere of greater motivation. Diversity makes us smarter! According to research “students’ exposure to other students who are different from themselves and the novel ideas and challenges that such exposure brings leads to improved cognitive skills, including critical thinking and problem solving.” I see this in my classroom every day. Students are challenged and learning from each other.
Our campus has many priorities, but our highest priority is to close the achievement gap.
61% of the students on our campus are classified as having a low socioeconomic status. Low income and minority students are achieving educational goals at different levels than other students. I have seen the reality of this achievement gap in my classroom for the past two years. I plan on closing this gap by providing a rigorous education for all students, providing extra help for students who may be falling behind, and understanding achievement patterns.
My Project
The past two years I have had assigned seats at student desks. What I have noticed is fidgety students and a lack of motivation. During my last semester of teaching, I noticed that my students were spending a lot of time outside of their seats and that they appreciated having the choice of working around the room. So next year I would like to incorporate flexible seating in a no desk classroom. Instead, I will create designated work spaces around the room and students will make a responsible choice of where they sit in order to better achieve their educational goals.
Research states, "Simple in-class activities can boost performance.
Studies suggest that children who participate in short bouts of physical activity within the classroom have more on-task behavior, with the best improvement seen in students who are least on-task initially." The seating in my class is designed to keep students active while they are working. This allows their brains to stay stimulated and focused while they are working on class assignments. The seating choices I am hoping to provide for my students next year consist of exercise balls, pillows to sit on the floor, balance stools, balance boards, and wobble cushions. Not only am I hoping to provide stimulating seating, but I would like to create workspaces around the room rather than have desks. My plan is to get rid of all desks next year, and have big tables for students to complete their work. If a student prefers to grab a clip board and work at the carpet, that would be accepted as well. I want my students to know what sort of environment they work best in. I believe flexible and stimulating seating will engage my students and create a sense of ownership for their own personal learning.
CR122GR - Wobble Chair - Green
• Lakeshore Learning Materials
$59.99
4
$239.96
Fury Fitness Wooden Balance Board - Round - Made of High-Quality Wood - Perfect for Surf Training - Balancing - Rehab - Home Use Wobble Trainer
• Amazon Business
$29.99
4
$119.96
Gaiam Kids Stay-N-Play Balance Ball, Lime
• Amazon Business
$19.98
4
$79.92
Stability Balance Disk :: Best Chair Cushion Seating Disc :: Wobble / Wiggle Air Seat Disks for Kids & Adults :: Core Strength Training and Exercise :: 100% Money Back Guarantee and Lifetime Warranty
• Amazon Business
$11.17
4
$44.68
Con-Tact Brand Creative Covering Self-Adhesive Shelf and Drawer Liner, 18-Inches by 24-Feet, Royal Blue
• Amazon Business
$10.15
2
$20.30
Materials cost
$504.82
Vendor shipping charges
FREE
Sales tax
$0.00
3rd party payment processing fee
$7.57
Fulfillment labor & materials
$30.00
Total project cost
$542.39
Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
$95.72
Total project goal
$638.11
How we calculate what's needed
Total project goal
$638.11
10 Donors
-$629.28
Donations toward project cost
-$542.39
Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
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. Cass and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.