Help me give my students the tools to stay organized, making quick and quiet transitions with sturdy, lined pencil boxes, sand timers, and a quality pencil sharper to keep those points sharp and students ready to learn.
My second graders are curious, global learners who study in both English and Spanish in our dual language program. Located in a poor, urban neighborhood, many of the students will never travel outside the city to experience life beyond their small sphere.
At my school, we strive to bring the students meaningful, hands-on learning experiences to build their background knowledge.
The school is a safe space where they can take academic and social risks in order to broaden their understanding of the world.
My Project
My students work together in collaborative teams at large tables. We keep our supplies in pencil boxes at the table, ready for any activity. But our cheap plastic pencil boxes don't withstand our daily use and constantly need replacing. Students waste time arguing over who has to use the broken boxes. We need more sturdy pencil boxes--and a great class pencil sharper--to keep our supplies at the ready.
I want to give my students the tools they need to stay organized during transitions, and great pencil boxes are just what we need.
Students rotate through centers, guided math, and guided reading with their pencil boxes, in which they keep all the supplies they need for any project or activity. We also time our rotations to conserve as much learning time as possible. The sand timers will help groups keep track of their transition time and work time, hopefully helping them stay focused on their assignments.
I am also asking for a hygrometer to help us keep the room at a comfortable and healthy level of humidity. I read a promising study about how optimal humidity can help us keep those germs at bay more easily, again optimizing student learning time instead of everyone being homesick.
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