My students need two Chromebook computers and an iPod Shuffle to help motivate them to succeed in school and help close the achievement gap.
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. Tarr's classroom raised $516
This project is fully funded
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
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
What motivates struggling students to stay in school? I teach Theatre to students in 6-8th grade in an urban middle school in Southern California that is under-resourced. Our school is a Title 1 school with 100 percent of our students receiving free breakfast and lunch.
Many of my students deal with outside obstacles in the home that make it difficult to make learning a priority.
Many struggle to keep up and have reading levels that are below basic. Research tells us that middle school is the time when most students will decide to stay in school or drop out. With so many challenges, it can be difficult to convince students that education is the answer to a better life.
Despite all of this, my students enter my classroom inspired to learn about Theatre Arts and are willing to take risks to expand their perspective. I'm lucky to teach a subject that may hook them into school when other subjects may appear too challenging or uninteresting to them at this point in their development. I'm able to teach skills like concentration, empathy, trust, imagination, self-confidence, and ensemble building; life skills that will help them far beyond the walls of my classroom.
My Project
I have established a common collaborative grouping system that holds students accountable to each other while rewarding groups that complete their work, come to class prepared, and consistently demonstrate positive and respectful behavior. At the end of the week, the students in the group with the most points in these areas is rewarded with a raffle ticket. If students know that the grand prize is something truly exciting then they get excited, which in turn translates to higher motivation levels in the classroom.
In middle school, when students choose a path they will likely follow later in high school, a shot at the grand prize could make all the difference between graduating and dropping out.
In order to keep my students motivated I am requesting two Chromebooks and an iPod Shuffle as fantastic prizes for my positive reward system. I believe that with these jaw-dropping incentives students will stay motivated all year long and will work together to help motivate the other members of their group to succeed. Together we can create a positive peer mentorship where kids are helping others to do their best to reach their goals for the future. Your donation can help make a big difference in their lives.
Nearly all 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. Tarr and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
