This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
You can help my students take part of my classroom with them. I teach math in a high school in a high-need community where families are often moved from place to place. Because of this, my students often transfer from school to school throughout the year. I teach different levels of Algebra: freshmen Algebra 1, sophomore Algebra 2 Honors, and junior/senior Algebra 2.
Since we are in a high-need area, we are often strapped for materials in class. Luckily, we have a great administration that always can afford good textbooks for our students. But this causes a problem when it comes to extra materials in class. I currently have 20 working calculators for my students to use while in class. This means I can't afford to let any students use these calculators outside of class. I do my best to show them how to best use their time wisely with math problems and how their calculators are a great resource, but they can't always use these methods without a calculator of their own. Also, since my students move around a lot, there is no way to guarantee that they will have the same tools at their new school.
I would like to get new calculators for 2 reasons. The first is so that my classes of 28 students will no longer have to share calculators during class. This is fine when I'm instructing a new lesson, but causes a problem with quizzes and tests. I have resorted to testing in shifts: half of the class takes a quiz while I instruct the other on something new, and then they switch. The second reason is so that I can give some of my students a calculator of their own. When my students move, I'm worried that they won't be able to maintain the great math skills they've acquired due to a lack of tools. Also, my upperclassmen have to take the ACT or college math-placement tests and don't have a calculator of their own to use during these. How unfair is it that my students can't show off all that they know simply because of a lack of resources? They are smart kids and they work hard to learn the required skills; I want them to be able to show others outside of my classroom how smart they are. I would like to be able to give away calculators to some of my students when they move from my classroom.
You can help my students succeed in and out of my classroom. Your donation will help my students get a simple tool that levels the playing field and gives them a chance to compete with students that are from wealthier neighborhoods. Not only will you be helping my students get calculators for in and out of school use, but you will also be showing them that the world isn't such a cold place. By placing a donation, you are also breaking their thought that no one cares about them; you're showing my students that they matter to the world.
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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. Hayes and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
