I love the diversity that I have in my classroom. I have students from all over the world. The students from sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade work on reading, writing, listening and speaking.
The students are excited to be there and are willing to work hard even when something is difficult for them.
Many of the students at my school receive free or reduced-price lunches. We have students that live in poverty, some in extreme poverty. Many families struggle to cover basic needs.
My Project
Have you ever sat on an uncomfortable stool? Have you sat there for almost an hour every day? One of the biggest complaints that I have in my room is that the stools are uncomfortable. Middle school classes are almost an hour long. Young bodies need movement throughout the day. A middle school student's attention span is around 10 - 12 minutes. My classroom is very small and when you get up to 19 students in the room - there just isn't room for activities. Having a comfortable place to sit, which also allows them to swivel, will help add movement to class.
I recently had a project funded that included these swivel cushions - WOW has it made a HUGE positive impact in my room!
I knew the stools were uncomfortable, but I really had no idea the impact that the cushions would make! One of the things that I noticed right away was students who tend to slump and almost lay on the table were sitting up, smiling and were more engaged. Students that had a hard time sitting are in their seat, being able to move and are more engaged. All of this means that we have more time on task. Think back to middle school - it was hard to sit for most of us, even harder when you are uncomfortable.
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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. Feldkamp and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
