Despite facing adversities including traumas such as poverty, incarceration of a parent, and food insecurity, Rowland Academy students are part of a supportive community focused on pupil empowerment and growth mindset. As a new teacher in the Harrisburg School District, in which 88.3% of students are economically disadvantaged, I am determined to develop a trauma-sensitive, growth-focused, and nurturing classroom environment for my students, 7.2% of whom experience homelessness.
As we begin the 2020-21 school year online, our school is entering a period of challenges and discomfort.
Our students, 23.3% of whom are English Language Learners, will need our talents and support to succeed in the virtual environment. In addition to this, our students will require innovative and well-designed live lessons, taught directly from our physical classrooms and delivered to our students’ laptops, which will use engaging props and learning tools to keep students engaged and on track for academic growth.
As a results-driven educator, I am focused on the growth of each of my students and I adapt my lessons in accordance with the needs of my individual students. My students are deserving of an adept and caring learning environment with bountiful and diverse resources that accommodate all learning styles.
My Project
I am a new Fifth Grade English Language Arts teacher at Rowland Academy in the Harrisburg School District, my students are beginning their school year virtually. I've spent the summer brainstorming how to modify my lessons to ensure that they're just as engaging and fun online as they would be in person. In order to achieve my goal of delivering immersive and captivating instruction digitally, I am working to fulfill a short wish list of learning devices that will drastically improve the delivery and execution of my lessons. My classroom needs a document camera which will be used to display worksheets and textbooks through zoom. My students would benefit from a digital writing tablet which will be used to annotate zoom sessions in legible handwriting. I teach in an undeserved community, so I like to be cognizant of the privilege I may show while on zoom at home. The whiteboard will act as a neutral background and double as a learning tool for me to demonstrate concepts for visual learners. Flocabulary is a wonderful resource for both kinesthetic and auditory learners as its original songs and dances act as artistic pedagogical methods for teaching children essential English Language Arts concepts.
The items on my wish list will continue to be used once the Harrisburg School District transitions into a hybrid model.
The document camera, for example, will be used with the existing classroom projector in order for students to share work with classmates and collaborate on projects. The writing tablet will continue to be used during peer-taught lessons and to annotate screens in the classroom. Flocabulary videos will be used as a year round resource to motivate students and assist with learning key concepts.
With your generosity, my students will have flexible learning tools in their virtual and hybrid classrooms.
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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. Combemale and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
