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 teach 15 kindergarten and 10 pre-K students at a Baltimore Montessori Public Charter School. This is the only public Montessori school in the city, and using the lottery system, we serve students pre-k-8 from all over the city. Montessori is a child-centered philosophy that has vast benefits to all children especially in fostering self-confidence, independence, creativity, and empowering students to discover their own strengths.
The children in my class have a deep hunger for learning.
My classroom is a safe and peaceful environment; they love coming to school. My practical life area is the most fascinating part of our classroom and draws students like magnets. One little boy has taken ownership of watering the plants every day, and I am reminded of how every human has this innate desire to seek nourishment from the earth and take care of other living things. Fostering that spark inside of each of these little hearts is so important to encourage joy, self-pride, and that connection to the community in as well as out of the classroom.
My Project
Montessori education values surrounding students in a beautiful and nature-focused environment to foster a calming learning atmosphere. Additionally, it connects students to their innate sense of inner peace. We find it essential to provide our students with wooden furniture and natural learning materials. Currently, we have standard blue plastic chairs in poor repair.
Our Montessori environment would benefit ten-fold in function as well as calming aesthetics.
A foundation of this learning philosophy is that the power of beauty fosters an appreciation for the arts, one's surroundings, and teaches students to respect and care for their environment. Further, in the Montessori environment, having chairs at the correct size for the children will enhance the learning experience.
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 Ms. Wyatt and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.