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
I have a wonderful group of 6th graders this year! Together we work very hard at mastering academic standards, taking responsibility for our choices, and supporting each other in achieving our goals.
Our school is located in an area of Los Angeles called Watts.
My students come from a variety of backgrounds. Some are from so-called traditional mom/dad homes, some have step-parents, some single-parents, some foster families, and some practically raise themselves.
Our school tries very hard to have the expectation that no matter what type of background you come from, the ability for success is attainable. We work hard at giving our students all the tools they need to achieve.
My Project
A pencil sharpener may seem like something that would not be super important to academic success. Although not directly, there is a connection! With massive budget cuts, teachers are left with sub par supplies to work with, and that often results in a waste of instructional minutes trying to make things work. Having the proper tools to work with allows teachers to focus time on planning lessons and working with students, rather than sharpening pencils and cutting erasers in half.
My students go through pencils like candy. I sometimes ask if they eat them for snack. We currently have the old fashioned hand crank pencil sharpener in our classroom. It takes about 4 minutes to fully sharpen one pencil (yes, we've timed it), if the sharpener doesn't break the pencil. It also leaves a big mess. By having an electric pencil sharper, we will be able to sharpen pencils for days, and not waste one single instructional minute.
The pencil sharpener will allow all students to have a proper writing utensil at all times.
I will be able to sharpen a larger quantity of pencils in a shorter amount of time. I don't like students to do this during class time, so I often do it after school myself. This is EXTREMELY time consuming, and I think my time could be better spent lesson planning, providing homework help, or tutoring students.
Nearly all 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
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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. Tirschel and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
