My students are an incredibly diverse group and a joy to teach. Some were born and raised in the neighborhood where my school is located; others only recently arrived in this country. There is a rich variety of cultural and linguistic backgrounds represented in my class, and more than half of my students are English language learners. Despite the struggles many of them face (over 90% are considered low income) they all come to school excited to learn. They are dynamic, enthusiastic learners who LOVE math.
My students spend the majority of their time working in groups, and they are great collaborators who thrive on interaction in the classroom.
They ask questions, push each other to explain their thinking, debate solutions to problems, and ensure that everyone in the group is participating. They tackle problems with determination, persistence, and creativity. I often ask them to write about the concepts they're learning, and the variety and quality of their responses demonstrate the originality of their approach to making sense of new ideas as well as their willingness to take intellectual risks in doing so. My students inspire me every day to be the best teacher I can possibly be.
My Project
These materials will support my students' work in a vibrant, engaging, and focused math classroom. Although it may not seem like supplies such as dry erase markers, printer cartridges, or file folders have a direct relationship with teaching math, these items are actually the backbone of my instruction!
My math classroom is a place of high student engagement, constant inquiry, and meaningful dialogue.
My math instruction is problem-based, which means that the bulk of my teaching happens through giving students rich, complex problems to solve and then facilitating discussion around students' solution strategies. My students and I create models, diagrams, and color-coded problem solving strategies on the board every day, and students analyze and critique each other's thinking based on their board work. They keep journals of strategies and insights that come out of these discussions, which allows them to process new concepts and keep a record of their learning, and the entire process is dependent upon having adequate supplies at hand.
I often create or seek out supplementary materials that will help my students develop deeper understanding of the concepts they're studying. I was fortunate to receive a classroom printer through a previous Donors Choose grant, and need to replenish my ink supply to ensure that I can continue to print the resources my students need. My classroom printer also allows me to print photographs, diagrams, graphs, spreadsheets, and other student- and teacher-created materials that are best printed in color. This gives me a broader range of options for incorporating technology into my teaching and designing projects through which students apply math in real-world contexts. I also keep portfolios of students' work, which they review and reflect on quarterly; this project will help me organize and house the work of over 100 students.
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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. O. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
