Do you remember the point in time that you learned how to read? Is it a fond memory or one that makes you flinch? I strive each and every day to teach my students to read and make it a wonderful positive experience that will encourage them to continue learning their entire life through.
I teach a class of 1st grade students in Kansas.
Our school is made up of about 475 students and about 85% of our school is classified as low SES. Our students are the sweetest and most loving students you will ever meet, despite what hurdles they have had to overcome in life....already. Many of them do not have a strong family support system to give them the extra assistance at home that is needed to create life long learners.
The structure and consistency of our school day becomes a variable that they depend on. My students need someone to set expectations for them. My students need someone to let them know that it may take time and it may take a lot of hard work, but they can achieve and surpass those expectations. I want to be that person for them.
My Project
I am requesting that an ELMO Visual Presenter be purchased for our classroom. While attending a reading fluency training this summer, given by Dr. Tim Rasinski, I was very motivated by this teaching tool that he shared with us. He shared the importance of placing what we are reading or teaching up in front of the students so they could not only hear it, but also SEE it. I often hold up the book that I am reading in front of my class as I read it. I never thought about the fact that they could not see the actual words I was reading, and what kind of an impact this could make on their learning to read and their ability to read with fluency. To give them the opportunity to SEE each word as I read it can make the biggest difference to those struggling readers. This machine will allow me to put the text up for all to see and be able to discuss word families, word patterns, vocabulary words, and rules of the English language.
I am constantly striving to find new and innovative ways to teach and motivate my students.
I, myself, am a life long learner and I want to instill that quality in each and every one of my students. The best way I can do this is to help them have a positive learning experience where they can see and feel their own personal growth in each academic area. With the help of an ELMO Visual Presenter I feel that I can get one step closer to touching and changing the lives of each of my students.
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 Mrs. Rodriguez and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.