My students need to remind themselves what a studious learner looks like by looking at themselves in prior times. This can be done through a photo. I am requesting an Instax camera and film.
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.
My Students
They say to never start an essay with a quote, or a sentence with the word “but.” But, I’m a Special Education teacher, not an English teacher, so I will defer to the words of Tupac Shakur to provide a proper introduction:
You see, you wouldn’t ask why the rose that grew from the concrete had damaged petals.
On the contrary, we would all celebrate its tenacity.
We would all love its will to reach the sun.
The children that I teach in New York City’s Chelsea projects are these roses disguised as students. The concrete that they’ve grown from has empowered them with the strength to weather the harshest storms.
At our school, we work hard to celebrate the tenacity of these students, but our little school is also, in a sense, a rose that grew from the concrete. However, thanks to our students, who come to school every day with a positive attitude and work ethic, our school has grown to a great place of learning and education. It’s time to show these students how much we appreciate them!
My Project
The students in my ICT 4th grade classroom often come into class distracted by those around them and distracted by situations at home. They come into class trying to get away from prior troubles. At 9 and 10 years old, they're still trying to grasp what's going on around them. Throughout the year, I have taken photos of each student reading, writing, working in groups, etc. These photos are used as reminders for students to see what they're capable of when they truly put their everything into our work. Up to this point, I've used my phone and laptop to remind each student of this. However, now they're moving up in grade levels, and I want them to take these photos with them to the next grade and to their homes. While having a photo doesn't seem like much, for some of these students, these are the only photos they will own up to this point.
By having a classroom camera, I can give students a chance to take their learning into their own hands and look at those photos to remind themselves what they can truly achieve when they focus.
More than half of 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
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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. Maisonet and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
