Do you enjoy getting mail? Well 5 and 6 year old children certainly do! First graders love to see what is in their "mailbox" at the end of each day. Each child having their own mailbox space helps me teach students organizational skills and responsibility.
My first grade class is made up of eighteen energetic students from a wide variety of life experiences, who come together daily from three small, rural towns in Maine.
This summer, the first grade classrooms moved from one building to another school in our district. The school we moved to now houses students from first grade to fourth grade. Moving from a very small school that housed only kindergarten students, this year will be full of challenges and new experiences for my first graders.
Our class theme is centered around bees. We call ourselves the Busy Bees because like a beehive full of bees, our room is buzzing with meaningful activity. Each busy bee has important work to be done, the work of learning. This requires us to be highly efficient in the use of our most precious resource - time.
My Project
Routines and organization are key to using every moment of the school day efficiently. An essential piece of equipment for a first grade classroom is a sturdy “mailbox shelf” that sits low enough for children to easily access. The shelf will be used in several ways. During the day when students produce work that I check on the spot, such has a handwriting paper, I ask each student to put their work in their mailbox. This saves me valuable time and teaches them to be responsible for their own work! During independent learning time, students produce work that I check later in the day. After talking with students about their work, I deliver it to their mailbox. Additionally, school notices and information going home are delivered to each mailbox. The mailboxes also serve as a place for students to deliver personal mail, such as cards they have made for a student. Not only will the mailbox section be used, but the top will hold materials and a chart will be hung on the back!
This "mailbox" shelf will replace 2 flimsy, torn cardboard units that sit on a desk, have much smaller slot openings, and tip over if a child is not careful.
Our district, like many, has faced deep budget cuts leaving little funds for purchasing equipment. Because of it's sturdy construction this shelf will be used by for years to come! Your donation will impact the lives of my students daily as they learn organizational skills and responsibility. "You've got mail!" Can you see their smile?
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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 Mrs. Bragdon and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
