My students need 25 copies of "When Zachary Beaver Came to Town," along with audio, and 25 copies of "Rules," in order to read books in class that they relate to or find interesting.
I love overhearing my students when they think I'm out of range.
"This book is actually pretty cool."
"Don't tell her, but I'll probably go get the next one in the series."
"That character is like me. I love this book!"
Success! Objective complete! However, I need more books to further this mission.
My students are amazing.
They keep me on my toes and teach me something new every day. I teach in a rural high school in a big city. We have around 2600 students total in our building. I have a class consisting of special needs students with a variety of disabilities. My students range from a 1st grade reading level to a 6th grade reading level, with challenges relating to Dyslexia, Traumatic Brain Injury, Autism, and multiple cognitive disabilities. The young adults in my class are extremely reluctant readers and some have not read a book all the way through in their entire lives.
I love my students. They are fun, compassionate, witty, and energetic. They teach me to take myself less seriously, and that everyone has something special and important to offer the world.
My Project
My students don't enjoy reading. They don't understand the things Holden Caulfield dealt with in New York. The don't know why Pip does the things he does. They can't relate, and therefore they don't care. Joey Pigza however gets their attention. They know him. They are him. Books have the ability to draw the reader into the world within the pages, but with my students, the pages have to contain a world that makes sense to them. I am working to provide reading material that my students understand and enjoy. When reading the story of Zachary Beaver, my students will get to know multiple characters, all flawed in their own ways, and they will be able to learn from them. Through "Rules," they will understand a little more about challenges that face those characters and gain empathy for those with similar experiences.
My students need 25 copies of "When Zachary Beaver Came to Town," along with audio, and 25 copies of "Rules."
Your donation will help my students learn to love reading and see that not all books, to quote one of my young ladies, are about "popular girls going on dates with perfect football players." Books can teach my students lessons about life, but only if they can see themselves in the characters and events.
Providing realistic and relatable material to read is vital in the mission to help my students learn to love reading.
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. Tolbert and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
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