Every year it is hard to say goodbye to a group of students, and then every year I am absolutely blown away by my new students! Part of student engagement and learning really has to do with relationship and establishing connections with the students. I say this every year, but nonetheless, my students this year are exceptionally near and dear to my heart. We have found a good balance of being able to joke around and have fun, while also working hard at our learning.
Trust between teachers and students is the glue that holds the classroom together.
Without trust, students will not be willing to take chances and step outside of their comfort zones. For example, this year a student was hesitant to come up to the whiteboard and correct a sentence in our morning warm-up. I told the student that the entire class is here to support you and walk you through the correction! The student was still hesitant, so as a class we cheered them on until they grew the courage to walk up and correct the sentence! This to me is what it's all about; establishing trust that will plant seeds of confidence and courage!
My Project
Reading surely is not a lost art! This year I am highly emphasizing reading and hoping to fill a classroom library that will instill a lifelong love of reading! I have decided to do a "30 Book Challenge" and challenge my students in the volume of their reading. The research suggests that when students read in higher capacities at appropriate reading levels, their vocabulary acquisition and comprehension skills are directly impacted and strengthened. Unfortunately, the current state of my classroom library is just not able to adequately support this challenge. With this grant, I am hoping to build up my library with all different genres and authors!
Middle School is a really great time of exploration; I want to give my students a chance to explore in the realm of reading; what they like, what they are curious about, and what excites them!
This is why I have included books from different genres including: Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Fantasy, Action/Adventure, and Nonfiction, as well as different Lexile Reading Levels. I am hoping that students will explore new titles and read some books that they normally would not have chosen! I want to do my part and support their exploration and growth as young readers. We will be so blessed by this donation not only this year, but in many school years to come!
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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 Ms. DeMartini and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
