This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
I'm an intervention specialist in an urban Ohio high school. I teach language arts to student in grades 9-12. Although the majority of my students are identified as having disabilities, they are so much more than their labels. Many of them have spent years feeling like they are less than, that they can't, that what they do doesn't matter. It's the best part of my job to watch them discover that their place in both school and the community does make a difference, they are equal to their peers, and, Oh, Yes, They Can!
Together, we often travel outside of our comfort zones, and while they might resist at first, by the end of the project, or semester, or school year, they are so proud and excited by what they have experienced and learned, and ready for their next journey.
One of the biggest rewards for me is seeing them take ownership of their learning. It's also wonderful to watch as they prove stereotypes and labels wrong, and earn the respect of others in our district, and community. They deserve to be taken seriously, and hopefully, by the time they leave my classroom, they all know that.
My Project
My students are struggling and reluctant readers. This trilogy by Sharon Draper is a long-time favorite of my students. We read the novels over the course of two years, finishing the last one just before the students graduate. This past year, there was much grumbling because all the books are falling apart, missing covers, even entire chapters. My students already struggle with feeling valuable, and my colleagues and I have learned that a new book, or any new school item, often makes all the difference in how a student responds to instruction.
Students love these books because the characters are high school students going through many of the same struggles my students face.
Their comprehension skills improve dramatically while reading Ms. Draper's books, and they are able to make inferences, analyze characters, and evaluate actions and decisions in the book, and then apply those skills to other texts, and real life. For many, reading a book by Ms. Draper is the first time they have found any purpose in reading.
My students work hard. They are unique, funny, caring, brilliant young people. And they deserve books that are not in pieces.
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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. McKnight and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.