I teach third grade at a diverse, Title I school in southwest Florida. Sixty-five percent of our students receive free or reduced-price lunch. Our students come from numerous cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. Through a lot of hard work, our school continues to help our students succeed. In fact, we have been an "A" school for all but one year of our existence! My students come from a wide variety of family dynamics and diverse households as well. I have students who are faced with several challenges due to their disabilities both in and out of the classroom. These things may prevent them from getting ahead early in life and may not provide them with the life experiences many of us see as "typical".
Despite the many challenges these students face, I am looking to keep things simple and provide my students with creative and meaningful learning experiences.
From the minute they walk in the door of my classroom, I focus on their potential and growth while they are with me. Having supplies available for all students means less stress on them and their parents. I want to foster a happy and safe classroom community of caring children.
My Project
The last thing children need is stress. Having a place in the classroom to gather needed supplies creates an environment of ease and safety. Things as simple as an electric pencil sharpener that works or markers that aren't dried out, make for easier implementation of lessons. This is why I chose the items I did. When children have colored pencils, project post-it notes, and crayons at their seats, they feel empowered to share their ideas. Having large poster-sized Post-its, allows groups to display their ideas for everyone to see. Having permanent markers makes writing and presentations pop with color. In order for children to learn, they need to be on an even playing field. If they are worried or embarrassed, they will likely shut down. My goal is to have no student stand out as "needy." Parents want the same for their children. I was one of those students. I know how it feels and I know how my parents felt.
Creating a nurturing environment at school can help foster life-long values that will make our world a better place.
By having the tools, supplies, and materials available to all students can have a huge impact on learning.
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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 Dr. Thompson and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.