Under The Sea: From High School To Young Learning Haven!
My students need a new rug and cd player to help turn this former high school classroom into an inviting area where they will be motivated to read more!
The facility I will be teaching at this year is changing from a high school to a K-8 school. Much is needed to turn this big kid space into a learning haven for young children. I long to provide these inner city first graders with a learning retreat that is motivating, comfortable, and peaceful!
The students in my class are economically disadvantaged.
Many come from housing projects and the families struggle to meet their basic needs. The community that surrounds the school offers very little to these families. There are no shops, libraries, or food establishments for employment or recreation. The parents have concerns because their neighborhood schools have been closed to send them to our facility. The new building these children are assigned to this year is changing from a high school to an elementary school. This alone is overwhelming for both the children and the parents. The space is very large and does not look like a typical elementary school. The students are eager to learn and view school as a safe place to be.
My Project
Because the neighborhoods that my students are coming from lack resources for recreation and enjoyment, I long to turn my first grade classroom into a learning retreat. I envision creating an inviting place where my students long to be each day. I decided to incorporate an ocean theme into my room because most of these children have never experienced the peace the ocean can bring. So my plan is to change this "high school looking" classroom into a place of learning that will forever stay in their memories. I am asking for an under the sea theme carpet to place in my reading area. I also would love to have a CD player to fill the ears of these inner city children with ocean sounds and relaxing music. I intend to have a beach umbrella, beach chairs, pails filled with supplies to motivate my students to learn and grow in a comfortable, peace-filled environment! Learning to read can be hard for these kids so giving them an environment that they want to be in will motivate them to succeed!
In my previous teaching assignments with inner city kids, I have seen the influence a welcoming classroom has had on the amount of student growth that occurs.
Stress is one of the main factors that impedes long term memory learning and growth. I know that my students will work hard to grow smarter and push themselves more if they have a learning environment that is welcoming, comfortable, and peaceful. I also know the parents will be less intimidated to participate in their children's education.
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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 Mrs. Fiore and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
