My students come in every day raring and ready to go! Our day always begins with several hugs and exciting news that they have to share with me. The greatest gift in the world is to be surrounded by children who love you despite your flaws, can't wait to see you every day, and think you hung the moon!
The majority of my students come from high poverty homes, and many don't have Internet access at home.
It is not uncommon for students to come to second grade on a first grade level. Because of this, it seems that we are playing catch up for most of the year.
Luckily, I teach in a wonderful school where teachers are willing to share resources and do whatever it takes to help students achieve success. Although many of my students are facing various challenges including broken homes, being raised by grandparents, and living in poverty, they are very motivated learners.
My Project
Controlling a classroom full of 8-year-old students while trying to ensure that learning is taking place is no easy feat. To make things a bit easier, I use a positive behavior system with tickets. Students are rewarded tickets for being responsible, following directions, being kind to their classmates, and making good decisions. The students can also lose tickets for making poor choices in the classroom.
Throughout the week, students save their tickets in their school box.
Every other Friday, I allow the students to shop at our classroom store. They can either choose to spend their hard earned tickets for the lesser priced items or save them for the higher priced items.
I love that there is a much bigger life lesson in economics hidden inside this system! Some students have never had the opportunity to earn money and make a choice on what to spend it on.
We all know that students are motivated by extrinsic rewards. Unfortunately, a teacher's pocketbook can only stretch so far! If my project is funded, it will help promote good behavior and citizenship in my classroom, all of which will benefit my students in the long run. A class store seems so simple, but has so many wonderful benefits for behavior, citizenship, and economics!
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. Whitwam and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
