I need to travel to the Ron Clark Academy to partake of the feast of educational experiences, strategies, and understandings being cooked up to increase student engagement and create culture extraordinaire.
When I am sitting on the floor facing my students I see this arc of faces each unique in its appearance, history, color, and experiences yet when I stand and my perspective changes I see a rainbow of young faces looking back at me, trusting me, looking to me to be noticed, to matter.
Malcolm Forbes said, "Diversity is the art of thinking independently together." That is a beautiful way of expressing what I witness in my classroom every day.
My kindergarten is a family where all children and their families matter. What they say, think, and feel is valued. They are supported in their learning, problem-solving, and relationship building. They are free to express their opinions and know not everyone may agree but they will not be made to feel less because they were courageous and used their voice.
Engaging all students in a culture rich in learning, creating, music, art, understanding, celebrating, designing, and failing forward can be found in my classroom. Every experience is used as an opportunity to teach and to learn. My students kiss their brains when they make a mistake as a way to say thank you for helping them to grow their genius.
My Project
The Ron Clark Academy is notorious for placing things on the learning menu that are just not found everywhere else.
I want the opportunity to not just sample the dishes smothered in a sauce of rich creamy culture or engagement that is so hot and tasty a second and third helping cannot be denied but to experience them first hand.
I want to see them, taste them, hear them, touch them, and smell them. I want the whole experience because then and only then will I be able to recreate them in my own classroom and create an impact so intense my students have no choice but to keep coming back for more. I want to increase the level of student engagement in my classroom by creating a school culture that is high on learning and rich in opportunities. This project will help cover the cost of registration to ensure I do not miss out on this two-day feast at the Ron Clark Academy.
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. Spiker and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
