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
Do you remember who first taught you how to be an organized student? Is being organized something that comes naturally to a child, or is it something that must be learned?
Next year will be my fifth year teaching Level I/II Spanish to ninth graders in a very high-needs performing arts school in an urban community in New York City.
Each year I have between 80 to 100 freshmen students entering their first year of high school eager to learn but inexperienced with organizational skills and time management.
Most of my students come from very low-income, single-parent households, or they live with a relative. In most cases, they would be the first person in their household to attend college. They have difficulty affording school supplies.
In my experience with ninth graders, I have found that though they are excited to learn and to prove themselves their freshmen year, they don't yet have the organization skills to excel their first year of high school. Freshmen often get overwhelmed by the amount of assignments and due dates to remember because they are not used to such a workload as compared to their experience in middle school .
My Project
The upcoming school year will be my fifth year teaching ninth graders, and I have found that most of the freshmen at my school have no system for writing down assignments or test dates. Usually they just write the homework down on a sheet of loose leaf and cram it in their binder or backpack. Then, not surprisingly, the assignment paper gets lost or forgotten about and thus, the homework doesn't get completed, or the student forgets to study for the quiz.
I have yet to see one of my ninth grade students use an agenda book/planner to keep track of assignments.
I am requesting 90 student planners to be funded over the summer, so that in the upcoming school year I can supply all incoming freshman with an agenda book/planner that they can use for all their subjects (not just Spanish).
I feel that if my students were given a planner to use, they would be more organized and effective their first year of high school.
They would be given a necessary tool in learning organization and time management as well as responsibility. If given a planner, my students would have a system for writing down assignment descriptions and important due dates. I feel my freshmen would thrive if given the right tools, and a planner is just one of many they will need to succeed in high school.
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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. Heister and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
