I teach Algebra 1A/1B to roughly 90 freshman students. I see these students every single day for 105 minutes. They are students who have been identified as needing more help than students in a typical Algebra 1 class, which would meet daily for 50 minutes.
My students have had an extremely turbulent and inconsistent year.
They began the school year with one teacher, who then transferred elsewhere in the district. Their second teacher left halfway through the school year.
I accepted this teaching position in early February after moving to Florida. Various substitute teachers had been in the classroom since winter break. A coworker of mine that also teaches Algebra 1 had been leaving her classroom to teach my students 20 minute lessons while still juggling her own students and workload.
My students often ask me if I am planning on leaving. I want to offer these students consistency. I want them to know that every day they come into our classroom I will be there and that I will advocate for them. They need to know someone cares that they are learning, growing, and experiencing successes in Algebra.
My Project
A study of how environments effect student learning found three main factors correlated with student learning outcomes: naturalness, individualization, and stimulation. Naturalness (namely natural light and good air quality) was the most significant environmental factor related to high student learning outcomes. Individualization is about having appropriate seating and work areas, and the flexibility to change the layout for different learning activities. Stimulation relates to how (appropriately) exciting and vibrant the classroom is and the results showed that classrooms with no color and no display items had negatively effected learning outcomes.
My students are having to learn in a classroom with no windows, monotone cinderblock white walls, gray carpet, fluorescent lighting, and bland drop ceilings.
These students spend a lot of time in this classroom attempting to tackle a subject that is often extremely difficult and intimidating for them.
As children get older they become much less prone to distraction. So it is perhaps ironic that early childhood classrooms tend to be over stimulating, while high school classrooms usually offer no stimulation at all. My ideal classroom environment will encourage inquisitiveness, collaboration, and student involvement.
Movable and versatile tables, desks, and seating would help us to maximize our available space and allow our classroom to become a multifunctional and engaging learning environment. By restructuring our classroom in a more student-oriented and team-based manner, I hope to foster my student's creativity and curiosity.
Curious students are fully present. They turn off their phones and focus on conversations. Curious students ask questions that start with “how,” “what,” “when,” “where” and “why”. Please help me build a classroom with all the resources to teach students to value inquisitive thought and engagement more than right answers!
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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 Ms. Keely and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
