It is difficult to describe a classroom in just a few paragraphs. On paper, many of our students are the same: they come from low-income homes, they struggle with reading and writing, they are called the "minority." These are similarities students are reminded of time and time again; yet, these are not the important defining characteristics of my students.
My students are brilliant, creative, and unique individuals.
They have opinions that matter, they want to express themselves, and they want to be proud of what they've accomplished. These are the similarities they have chosen, not the ones that have been given to them. My goal as their teacher is to reinforce these similarities, the important similarities, to make sure they know that in life, they have the ability to choose.
My Project
Every year, I think of new strategies to reach my struggling readers and writers. Through my own professional development, I came across the gold mine that is creative journaling. When going through the process myself, I was in awe at how free I felt. How interested I was. I was learning through reading, writing, and art in a new, exhilarating way.
With your generous help, I hope to pass these feelings on to my students.
With these supplies, my students will be able to react in multiple forms to the world around them, as well the texts and concepts we're exploring in class. They will be able to write, collage, and paint and store their reactions in binders, whichever form they may take. Giving them choice will make them more willing to read and write, have more freedom of expression, and be more engaged than they have been in any other English class. What makes this project even more exciting is that with the document camera, the students will be sharing their own work and thoughts without my interference. They will be proud of what they accomplish, as I'm sure you will be.
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. T. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.