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.
My Students
This upcoming year, I will be teaching students in grades 3rd-5th. My students are from an inner-city in one of the five New York City boroughs.
My students come from a predominantly low socio-economic background.
Nevertheless, my students are the most hard-working, motivated, and inquisitive students you can have.
My Project
Smencils are a number one hit in my school. My students are crazy for Smencils. They are pencils made from recycled newspapers. Each Smencils has an awesome scent and is also a learning tool. I use Smencils as an incentive for all my students. I teach 12 classes every year. Smencils are used as an incentive and reward for hard work and appropriate behavior. I have a ziplock bag for each class with a raffle ticket with each student's name on it. At the end of each class session, I choose two raffle tickets with students that did all their work and had excellent behavior. Students, even after so many years, still go crazy for Smencils.
More than three‑quarters of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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. Martinez and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
