My students need food to help meet their basic needs. My students need healthy snacks like pretzels, crackers, and granola bars to fill their stomachs in order to help their brains work harder!
I am a first-year third grade teacher at a school that wants to incorporate STEAM and blended learning in our classrooms while in a low-income/high poverty school district. STEAM is expected to be used daily in our school. My students are faced with challenges both inside and outside of the classroom.
Despite the many challenges they face, I am looking to keep learning creative and meaningful in my classroom.
These students will each have their own individual and unique needs. These tools will help each of these students be the most successful in the classroom. Our school is comprised of students ranging in age from pre-school to fifth graders. Our school embraces the use of differentiation and modification in the classroom to enhance student learning and meet the students' needs. Many of my students are being raised in single parent households and receive free lunch based on their socioeconomic status, potentially preventing my students from getting ahead early in life and may not provide them with the life experiences needed for college and career readiness. While in my classroom, I hope to give students a positive experience they need to gain these life experiences in the classroom.
My Project
When food insecurity occurs in the classroom, it has a negative impact on the students in the classroom. It is vital to meet a students most basic needs in the classroom: shelter, safety, and food. While working in a low-income school, I have noticed that food is the most crucial for these students who may go home to not having food. These students are motivated by food and also continue to work harder with food.
According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, when schools serve snacks, they help children develop lifelong healthy eating habits and prevent chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure.Not only are we preparing these students to live a healthy lifestyle, we are preparing them for the world with their education.
Students who are loved at home, come to school to learn. Students who are not, come to school to be loved. I believe it is my responsibility as an educator to help care for these students in every way.
These snacks will be used in the classroom to promote productivity, for students who are in need, and for after school tutoring. Every snack is making an impact in these students lives who depend on us for their day-to-day basic needs.
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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. Erickson and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
