My students need 32 incredible books to keep them excited about reading. They've asked for books like "Harry Potter," "The Outsiders," and "Tuck Everlasting."
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. Atwill's classroom raised $671
This project is fully funded
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
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.
'Just remember--you teach students, not books.' This was the advice given to me by my assistant principal, right before I started my first year of teaching 10th grade English in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city, where few of the children graduate high school, let alone attend college.
This advice played in my head over and over during my first day, as I tried--and instantly failed--to get my students excited about reading. So I switched gears, and asked my students about themselves. Suddenly, they had a lot to say! But even though they would write about their own lives, including their dreams of college, they didn't have much to say about what they would do once they got there. When I told them that, in most of my college classes, we just read books and talked about them, they balked.
"But Miss, I don't like reading!" was the general response.
Even though almost none of my brilliant students would admit to never reading books for fun, they did let me coax them into 'Independent Reading,' a fifteen-minute period at the start of every class where their directions were simple: Go to the bookshelf, grab a book, and READ! I had scoured the school building for books that would appeal to my ninety-two 10th graders, and had come up with about thirty titles. Every morning, my students jostled at the bookshelf, insisting that someone has stolen their copy of "Monster" or "The Gun." After the precious fifteen minutes of reading were finished, and I asked students to mark their books and return them to the shelf, I'd see at least one or two books getting slipped under the desks and into backpacks. I would have to gently remind the student that someone in Fifth Period was reading the same book, and take it away.
"Miss, can I take this one home?" It's nearly impossible to say no to a fifteen year old boy holding up a paperback, asking his English teacher if he can read more.
My students need books--but not just any books. They're starting to branch out from the "Urban Fiction" genre, and into the many different subjects that they could read in a college class.
The students and I made up a book "Wish List," and we are requesting the first 32 books on that list! The books span a wide range of reading levels and topics, to accommodate their wide-ranging interests (and future majors!). From sports to social injustice, from World War II to Ancient Rome, from the past, present, and future--these books are what my tenth graders want--and need--to read!
Increasing the size of our classroom library will allow them to take books home, to read on the bus instead of playing video games. They will be able to read for hours each night--exactly what they will have to do in college!
Giving my students access to these books will help them on their college applications, but more importantly, it will allow books and reading to be a part of their lives. Next time you see a teenage boy, imagine him sticking a book into his back pocket, excited to read it when he gets home. You can make this happen!
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
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. Atwill and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
