You know when you are thinking about something wonderful and go to write it down but just can't find the right words? That's what my students are experiencing each day as they challenge themselves to write in Spanish but are unable to discover new words and check their spelling without dictionaries!
My students are amazing young humans who are not scared to up the rigor in the classroom.
They are urbanites attending one of the largest public schools in the state of Connecticut. My students, los dedicados (the dedicated ones), are filled with spunk and enthusiasm for learning Spanish! A lively bunch of about 120 students across the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades make up my Spanish classes. I teach levels 1-3 and love every second of it!
In a school district where a large number of students aren't meeting national standards, I see some real change happening in room 245. Students are improving their reading and writing skills through learning Spanish. More importantly, they are improving their vocabulary and honing their expression skills not in just 1 language, but 2! You can usually find us singing grammar songs and laughing while learning. There are beautiful things happening that are fostering interdisciplinary understanding and progress.
My Project
With your donation, our room will receive 24 Spanish to English dictionaries. Ten of these are pocket dictionaries, 10 are regular size, and 4 can fit into binders. Having these resources available in the classroom will literally change the way that we are able to learn Spanish. As students develop their skills, they are becoming more and more eager to write about things that are relevant to them as individuals. In order for this to happen, we need reference resources so that each student can delve into a new world of words and phrases that is personal and more relevant.
These dictionaries will provide this opportunity to the students. They will be able to expand their vocabulary and will certainly be able to explore new words and make new connections across languages. These dictionaries will house all the words that my students could ever hope to discover. Now, that, is exciting!
Donations to this cause will increase the likelihood that my students are getting as much as they can out of their Spanish classes.
Donations will ensure that my students have the opportunity to explore the Spanish language in a way that is individualized and relevant for them as a student and as a person. Dictionaries will help me increase the rigor for students. I will be able to give them more independence,which they are craving.
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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. Gleeson and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.