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
The entire student population of my school receives a free or reduced-price lunch. Most do not have money for simple things like basic school supplies, book bags, and clothes. If we're being honest: as a whole, urban public school children are largely overlooked, dismissed and underestimated.
Despite these obstacles, most of my students are, admirably, college-bound.
It is my goal to get 100% of my students to college, but without preparation, which they achieve through completion of my projects and assignments, they will be ill-equipped for the expectations and stipulations of college coursework.
With that said, I try and provide my students with literature, resources, opportunities, and technology that mirror those given to more affluent school districts. As a lot of my teaching style relies on positive reinforcement and the realization and strengthening of personal strengths and integrity; I strive to show my students that their worth is not dependent upon what school district of zip code they grew up in.
My Project
Next school year (2018-19) I am teaching an Advanced Placement (AP) Literature and Composition class.
However, gathering the materials I need to support my curriculum is entirely my responsibility.
Given that teachers in my district have only received the most minimal of raises over the past ten years, I am unable to suffer the cost of these materials myself.
Now, with each of my lessons, I try to make sure that my students are fully engaged and invested in the text we are reading.
During their junior years, we read Washington Irving's "The Devil and Tom Walker," so they are more than familiar with the Faust Myth and its semantics.
For the students I recruit for Senior AP Lit., they will be reading Christopher Marlowe's DOCTOR FAUSTUS.
As part of their reading, I want them to write out their very own Faustian Bargain and negotiate the terms under which they would "sell their souls..."
I found that this is an excellent way to engage students in the play, cultivate a comprehensive understanding of the work, and exercise students' creativity while also showing them the real-life application of what I am teaching them.
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 Mr. Harshman and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
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