My students come from a variety of cultural backgrounds, some with English language challenges, most from low income families, some are homeless, some in foster care, some newly arrived in this country or this city and unfamiliar with our school and our classes.
They sit in groups with classmates who would appear to be very different from them, but they quickly find common interests and learn to work together and support each other as they learn math, improve their work habits, and develop effective teamwork.
They help each other with the math problems, they talk about school sports and events, sometimes help translate for those whose English is not strong, and over the course of the year, they become friends.
My Project
My students will create their own interactive notebooks to take notes and work out examples which will help them understand the new math concepts they are learning. To create their personalized notebook pages, students need glue sticks, highlighters, and fine-tip markers.
For drawing and analyzing geometric figures and angles, students must use special tools such as compasses to draw arcs and circles, and protractors to measure and compare angles.
Many students have never used these tools before and learning to use them makes the lessons much more active and interesting.
Rather than the monotony of looking at handouts and doing worksheets, using these hands-on materials piques the students' interest. Then they participate in the activities, are fully engaged in the lessons and understand the concepts much better.
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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. Maidelis and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
