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
Currently, I am back at LAUSD as special education teacher of middle school students with Autism challenges. All of these experiences collectively, has added to my repertoire of skills and experiences that makes me a well-rounded educator. I can serve my students both, as an instructor of academics, and as a social skills instructor. I understand the needs of students to feel safe, to feel belonging and to process trauma before academics can be attended to.
AMS is a Title I school in South Los Angeles.This means about a large majority of our students qualify for free or reduced school lunches.
We are a population of 535 students and 27 teachers, with about 25 classified staff. At AMS, there is a high number of students who are in the foster care system or are fostering with extended family. The students at our school are dealing with unusual amounts of stress and trauma associated with poverty, immigration status, and single parent households.
My Project
My students are dealing with autism challenges and are very gifted visual arts. They feel most successful when they are doing this. Last year, they put in school garden and I would like to start building an outdoor classroom that the entire school can enjoy. My students will be the pioneers in this process.
I would love for them to experience the process of natural painting in the garden with real high quality easels where they can put their paints and brushes.
They will use the garden as subject and therefore, will start developing an appreciation for the beauty in the natural world by seeing the fauna and flora through the eyes of painters.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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. Wayne and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.