I teach at a public preschool on the south side of Chicago. From a play-based approach, to project-based learning - we focus on the idea of "nothing without joy." My preschoolers truly embody this vision as they learn and grow. They walk into the classroom bright-eyed and excited to play and learn. They are 3-5 year olds from varying social and economic backgrounds, who experience my classroom as their first school - often also understanding it as the only definition of school.
To maximize children’s learning potential, we follow an emergent curriculum that is based on the interests of children.
Teachers take inspiration from the Reggio Emilia approach to education, and set up the classroom environment to allow children to create, build, and learn in their own unique ways. The children come together in the "blended classroom" model, where some of them have developmental delays and some of them are typically developing. They help each other every day, teaching me and everyone around them the biggest lesson in respect, love, and empathy.
My Project
Our preschool program is play-based - we seek to teach and learn primarily through play opportunities throughout the school day. In addition to outdoor play time, our students get ample opportunity to have uninterrupted choice time in the classroom. While we attempt to always have rich, purposeful, and mindful choices for play in the classroom, a highlight is always the dramatic play area -- it is relatable, communal, and incredibly language-rich!
I wish to create a dramatic play area that is open-ended, flexible, and ever-changing - to inspire and gain the interest of all students in my classroom.
The shelves and related accessories will allow us to convert the pretend play area into a kitchen, a farm stand, a market, a doctor's office, or really, anything - depending upon the interests of children and ongoing studies in our classroom. The hanger will allow us to display items of interest and the freestanding mirror will add another dimension to play, when it is not being used for dress-up. In short, the items will bring a corner of our room to life, and enable multiple children to express themselves in their first school setting.
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
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. Gruschow and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
