This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
My students are a wonderful group of eighth graders who typically experience varying degrees of trauma in their day-to-day life.
"...Stress itself — if left unchecked — is physically toxic to child development and health." --St. Louis Post-Dispatch
My school is located in an economically impoverished area of the inner-city.
My students are driven to want more than what their environment tends to offer them, and they regularly take full advantage of many of the programs offered by the school that help them cope with many of the issues that hinder ones academic growth. They have come to understand the importance of education on their future and could benefit from as many coping mechanisms that the school is able to provide in order to assist in overcoming those roadblocks.
My Project
My students have been allowed to create a safe space where they have been equipped with varying strategies that they can implement when stressed, overwhelmed, or dealing with a traumatic event. This space allows them to do yoga, create art pieces, listen to music, or write in order to distress in a productive way. Restocking materials can become difficult for the teachers as this project is not funded through school resources. I will use the paint and canvas sheets to restock the art space for my students. This strategy has been highly successful in reducing student referrals and time lost from school due to discipline issues. It has also helped to foster better working relationships between the students and staff.
Donation to this project will improve my classroom because it will continue to give the students a positive means by which to deal with their stress and trauma, without lashing out and creating greater learning gaps for themselves and their classmates.
It will change my students lives for the better by equipping them with life long strategies that will transcend any stressful situation. Using art and creativity as a coping mechanism is a beneficial tool throughout life.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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. Terrell and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
