Past projects 8
Wobble While We Work!
Funded Sep 17, 2016Words cannot express how thankful I am for your generosity and making this project for wobble stools become a reality for my students! We are using our wobble stools every day in our classroom to wiggle while we work. During most of the day, the wobble stools stay at the guided reading table so that students can use them during small guided reading and guided math groups. This is an essential part of they day where students need to be focused, and this helps them stay active and engaged as they learn! The wobble stools were so popular that I have classroom coupons where students can "buy" wobble stools with their classroom money to use all throughout the day. I love seeing students so engaged and active while they read, write, practice math, and learn on their wobble stools!
It felt like Christmas morning in our classroom when a big brown box arrived at our door step! One of my students asked, "Mrs. Burns, did our wobble stools come in already? Can we open them?" The smiles and excitement on their faces were those of pure JOY when I said, "yes and yes!"
The next steps for using our wobble stools are to continue using them each and every day to practice balance and get our wiggles out while we actively learn. Students can use wobble stools during small group reading and math, independent working time, reading, writing, partner activities, and more. I am so excited to have a tool that can easily be used every day to make my third graders fall in love with learning in my classroom and beyond!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Burns
Connect, Create, Collaborate!
Funded May 29, 2016My students are able to use these materials in hands on, inquiry based learning in science. The snap circuits and magnets support our standards while ensuring high student engagement. Many students are understanding electricity and magnetism on a much deeper level through these experiences in science stations!
The students were absolutely thrilled and had the biggest smiles on their faces when they got to open the snap circuits and explore the brand new magnets. They could not wait to get their hands on these amazing resources and begin their learning journey of fun!
The next steps for our classroom is to continue further inquiry stations and hands on learning, and the snap circuits can create all different types of circuits to challenge students. The students and I are so excited to have these materials in our classroom, and it could not happen without your generosity!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Burns
This classroom project was brought to life by UPS Foundation and 11 other donors.Snug as a Bug on a Rug!
Funded Jan 28, 2016I cannot thank you enough for your kind generosity and helping our classroom get a new area rug! I wish you could have seen the looks on the girls' faces when they walked through the door and stepped onto our beautiful new carpet. They were filled with excitement and huge smiles! We have already used our carpet for morning meeting time where a student of the week leads the class. It is the perfect size for every student to fit in a circle together. We will continue to use our classroom rug every day for reading and writing time, problem solving, group work, and whole group time. It provides a comfortable place to inspire creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking.
I truly appreciate each of you and making this project happen for these girls. They send their smiles and hugs!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Burns
Hocus Pocus, Everybody Focus
Funded Sep 17, 2015My students could not have been more excited when the big brown boxes with wobble stools and privacy partitions were delivered to our classroom! I cannot fully describe how big the smiles on their faces became when they got to use them right away and call them their own. The girls took turns trying out the wobble stools, and we use them every single day in our classroom. They also love having their very own privacy partition.
The students are using both of these resources daily. They use wobble stools during any part of the school day-whole group lessons, small group work, independent work, and more. They are very effective in guided reading and guided math, and I have seen tremendous results in sustained reading and perseverance in math while the girls are using wobble stools. The privacy partitions are specifically for assessments to help the students focus, but they are also very helpful for independent work for my students that can be easily distracted.
This project has had a significant boost on my students' learning. I love seeing their ability to stay focused grow! These materials are constantly being used in our classroom, and it has positive effects for every single student. I cannot thank each of you enough for your kind generosity, and you will never know the impact that you have had on 19 amazing girls!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Burns
Math Games for Mighty Girls!
Funded Dec 31, 2014My students could not wait to start playing their new math games, and the look on their face when I explained that the games were donated by generous donors like you was pure excitement and joy! They kept saying things like, "I didn't understand multiplying fractions, but now I do ," "Math is fun!" and "When can we play more math games?" They truly love to use this resource to practice and learn math skills!
In my classroom, the students will use the math games as either a station activity, a partner activity, early finisher activity, or as part of a guided math lesson. The resource can be leveled according to the students' needs and areas of weakness in math. The extra practice or guided practice helps reinforce math skills in a fun and engaging way. They use the math games to reflect on what they did well and set goals for what to do better. This helps develop their problem solving skills and growing from mistakes, which is a vital life lesson, especially for girls.
This project has boosted both my teaching and student learning. It instills a contagious excitement for learning and peace about making mistakes in my students. It offers me a lot of flexibility as a teacher to use the math games for various skills to meet student needs, and it is very motivating for my students to work up to the next levels and challenge themselves! I love having this resource in my classroom! My students and I cannot thank you enough for your kind generosity!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Burns
An "Apple" a Day Helps the Learning to Stay
Funded Feb 28, 2014Your donation toward our classroom project, "An Apple a Day Helps the Learning to Stay," has significantly increased the opportunities for learning and success in our classroom. As soon as the students received the Apple TV, they were full of so much joy and excitement! I kept hearing words like "wow!" "amazing" and "we get to use that?"
In the classroom, we use technology every single day, and we LOVE using ipads! The students now have an Apple TV to call their own and use responsibly. Whenever students use ipads, I can model the activity on the Apple TV rather than having to walk around to show students. My students are also using the Apple TV to make presentations to the class using a variety of apps! They love being able to use technology to show off what they have learned, and the other students are so much more engaged as good listeners.
The project, "An Apple a Day Helps the Learning to Stay," has not only boosted my confidence and efficiency in teaching but also my students' learning. Try putting yourself back into a nine year old's shoes. How nervous did you feel when you had to make a presentation in front of the entire class? With technology in their hands, I can tell such a tangible difference in their confidence at public speaking and presenting! It is my goal as a teacher to best prepare my precious students to be confident and successful. Every child is learning how confidence and using technology paves the way to success in our classroom and beyond!
Thank you so much for your kind generosity and contributing to changing the lives of tomorrow's leaders!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Burns
More Than Pink Polka Dots and Bows
Funded Mar 22, 2014Your donation toward our classroom project, "More Than Pink Polka Dots and Bows," has significantly increased the opportunities for learning and success in our classroom. As soon as the students received the brand new books, they were full of so much joy and excitement! The girls in my classroom even told me, "we can't wait to read them right away, Miss Lockridge!"
In our classroom, we read every single day! We have a growing classroom library that the students use during their daily independent reading time and small group guided reading. The girls in my classroom are so much more motivated to read new books and be inspired by the books that you helped to fund about how girls can be heroes! I cannot wait to see how the students apply their curiosity and excitement to continue exploring different genres of reading!
The project, "More Than Pink Polka Dots and Bows," has not only boosted my confidence and efficiency in teaching but also my students' learning. Through my teaching experience, I have learned the importance of remembering that every child has a story. As a teacher, I need to know what motivates and inspires my students to help them learn and grow successfully. They are so much more engaged in their reading when they have choices to read about what interests them. I have learned so much about my students, and I know that the girls in my classroom will be so engaged and inspired from these powerful books! Every child is learning how reading paves the way to success in our classroom and beyond!
Thank you so much for your kind generosity and contributing to changing the lives of tomorrow's leaders!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Burns
"Got Your Back" Seat Sacks
Funded Dec 3, 2013Your donation toward our classroom project, "Got Your Back Seat Sacks," has significantly increased the opportunities for learning and success in our classroom. As soon as the students received the seat sacks, they were full of so much joy and excitement! When opening the seat sacks for the first time, one student even said, "It feels like Christmas!" After using the seat sacks for a few days, I asked the students how they liked them, and they all said, "we love them, Miss Lockridge!"
In the classroom, we use our seat sacks every single day. The students have a resource to call their own and use responsibly. The seat sacks have a convenient, easy access pocket that has provided extra space around the desks. Each student uses his/her seat sack to store a whiteboard, pencil pouch, and current reading books. We use whiteboards almost every day for hands-on practice in math and for quick assessments in every subject. Having whiteboards in their seat sacks has eliminated the transition time it used to take to pass out the materials. This way, students can quickly get to their learning! Having a specific space for pencil pouches and reading books creates extra room in the classroom for all of our other hands-on projects that we love to do!
The project, "Got Your Back, Seat Sacks," has not only boosted my confidence and efficiency in teaching but also my students' learning. The seat sacks help reduce transition time of passing out materials, which creates more time for teaching and learning. Each of my students have taken ownership over taking care of his/her seat sack. We have been preparing for the real world by learning the important life skills of organization and responsibility. Every child is learning how responsibility paves the way to success in our classroom and beyond!
Thank you so much for your kind generosity and contributing to changing the lives of tomorrow's leaders!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Burns