Past projects 4
A New Normal: Book Clubs in an Urban English Class
Funded Oct 25, 2018Through the books you donated, there has been a joy and invigoration that has come with each book checked out. Students who did not read before are voraciously checking out books--American Street, The Poet X, Long Way Down, and The Hate U Give do not stay on the shelves--I have had to go to other book sales and buy the books so that students can check them out. Kinetic and engaged, students are interested in the narratives of repression, abuse, isolation, and hope; consequently, they are learning human truths about life that can only come from a book. While many students want to read the in book, others are experimenting with graphic novels like Hey Kiddo and My Hero Academia--they see themselves in characters that are secular yet empowered. On cushions or at home, students talk to others about what they are reading with such finesse and jubilance.
Before Christmas break, I knew that students from extremely low-income homes needed an escape--their Christmas break would be spent with little food, little gifts, and little attention; therefore, I pressed the most striving learners in my classes to check out some books. All of the most hardened students--students not wanting to trust or show their love because they've been hurt by adults and the world--wanted to escape into a landscape of vulnerability and empowerment. I was happy to have my "babies" back after Christmas break, discussing the stories in Odd One Out, Speak, and The Female of the Species.
With your donation, you gave a gift that no one can ever take away from our youth--literacy. The power that you gave will forever be emblazoned on a student's mind and they won't ever forget the memory of reading a book, knowing you believed in them and forged a future of confidence and adoration.
We love you!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Overacker
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose.org Community and 22 other donors.Reimagining a High School English Class Using Book Clubs
Funded Aug 10, 2016Heavy breathing and silent hushes abound, my students enjoy the books you placed in their hands. Here are some of the comments and responses from the students about the books you bought for them:
-"I really love the way the author speaks to me (really--he talks directly to me sometimes) in the book. He knows exactly what I am going through," -Eddrick speaking about Jason Reynolds' "All-American Boys"
-"The characters make me want to read more. I cannot wait for Mr. O to get the sequel," -Alexis speaking about Jenny Han's "To All the Boys I've Ever Loved"
-I want to read, read, read all the time! I never knew I could read this much," -Jaylon speaking of Andrew Smith's "Winger"
Thanks to your contributions, my students are analyzing literature like no time before.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Overacker
Excelsior! Change a Life with Class Novels
Funded Sep 17, 2014The skills learned from the texts you contributed to us were: main idea and relevant details, making inferences, and drawing conclusions. Students used the books to make connections to their lives and made meaning (or built meaning in some circumstances) from the texts by drawing, acting, or recreating scenes. In one of the pictures, a student recreated the feeling of alienation by placing an Afro on Lincoln's head, then wrote an expository paragraph on why he did what he did (the student stated that alienation is how people view someone who is different from the outside, yet the actual person being observed doesn't see himself as the Other). Students made meaning by performing their favorite scenes, participating in BookTalks, and had amazing fun with Book Clubs! The reading environment in my classroom has changed dramatically with the advent of the books you contributed!
And we thank you for that!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Overacker
Excelsior! Change a Students' Life One Book at a Time
Funded Sep 18, 2014I cannot describe the impact your donations have had on my students. We covered a novel, Things Fall Apart, in class and my students completed extension projects after reading. They really delved deep into the text and related to Okonkwo's "daddy issues" and how he lived his whole life trying to be someone he does not want to be, yet ultimately becomes who he tries to avoid. My students also were beyond thankful for strangers providing them novels to read and felt appreciative. I told them that people in the world cared about them enough and thought they were special enough (they loved that recognition since they are all about an imaginary audience currently in their development) to buy them books. My students are reading the novels and taking AR tests on them, yet the most drastic effect of the books is the reading scores the state of Louisiana performs as progress monitoring--many of my students have made impressive gains in their reading achievement (only eight students dropped in their achievement and they have high absenteeism). I want to thank each and every one of you for your consideration, magnanimity, and generosity!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Overacker