This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
I am so fortunate to have the most amazing, spirited students who absolutely LOVE music class. They work hard, are engaged learners, and love playing any type of instrument. From the youngest kindergarten student to the oldest fifth grader, they are equally talented young music makers who constantly strive for excellence.
I have the privilege of teaching every student at my school, and they ALL look forward to coming to music class.
They leave every day saying, "That was fun!" and "I can't wait until next time." They are innovative, offering their ideas and suggestions of other activities we could do. They are willing to perform for one another and their teachers, and above all, they are passionate.
My Project
As a K-5 general music teacher, my job is to prepare students to be lifelong music makers. This happens naturally through singing and dancing, but also through playing instruments and allowing students to see how music can be a part of their everyday lives.
By teaching my students to play the ukulele, I will not only give them a potentially lifelong passion but also give them confidence in knowing they were able to learn a brand new skill.
Learning an instrument at a young age will teach my students perseverance, dedication, and teamwork, as well as develop their fine motor skills, coordination, and improve their reading levels. The benefits of instrumental music study are endless, and being able to provide my young students with those benefits will positively impact them throughout their entire lives.
I have chosen ukuleles as a means of creating this joy and skill, as it is an incredible first instrument for elementary students who are still too small to play the guitar. The ukuleles will be introduced to my third-grade students, and we will continue on into fourth and fifth. This classroom set will be shared among all of my students and will benefit thousands of students for years to come.
We were so fortunate to have our last ukulele project fully funded! However, my goal is to have a full classroom set of instruments for my students, so no one has to share. This project will get us to that number and give us a classroom 1:1 ratio of instruments to students!
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 Mrs. Guimaraes and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
