Mrs. A.'s Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 3

• Calming Area

  Funded Jan 4, 2023

  The calming area has contributed greatly to my classroom environment because students have a place to relax when they need some time to themselves. Students have the calming toys and books to enjoy while taking a five minute break. The students enjoy a quiet place to sit and it helps them calm down when they feel anxious or tired.

  The students were really excited when they saw it. The canopy and calming toys brought them joy because it is a safe place for them to go. The students enjoy taking turns going there throughout the day to read the feeling books and recharge themselves if they need a calming time.

  This also contributes to our SEL (Social Emotional Learning) because students use their strategies when they go to the calming area. Our next steps will be to continue using our strategies of breathing and relaxing when we need to calm down. Also, students will continue to advocate for themselves when they need a break. I truly appreciate how this project has helped support my students.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. A.

• Keeping Students Engaged With Lap Desks/ Clipboards!

  Funded Sep 23, 2019

  Thank you for supporting my students in using flexible seating options in the classroom. They have benefitted greatly from working in small groups, being closer to the board, and have been able to move more about the classroom.

  One way that I've used the lap boards are when I'm teaching English Language Development in a small group my students sit closer to the board and work with partners to interact and discuss the stories we read. Also, when I'm differentiating instruction, my students who struggle with focus do better when they have more space away from their desks to compete their assignments independently. In addition, when I teach vocabulary students can view the slideshow and take notes from the rug using the clipboards and lap desks.

  When my students first saw the lap boards and clip boards they were so excited. Their enthusiasm has continued as they use them on a daily basis to sit in different places in the classroom and work independently, in partners, and in small groups. Thanks again for your generosity and for bringing these materials to my classroom to engage all my learners.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. A.

  This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Funder and 2 other donors.

• Scholastic News Sparks a Love of Learning

  Funded Jul 9, 2019

  Thank you so much for bringing Scholastic News to my classroom. Scholastic News has become a great addition to my classroom. Students are fully engaged in the texts that support what we're learning in social studies and science. For example, we were studying the constitution in reading and social studies and we read about how the founding fathers met to create the first constitution in the weekly reader. Students saw first-hand through the vivid descriptions in the text how they planned the Constitution and the history behind the founding fathers. In addition, there are great pictures that support the text and bring the history to life.

  Students were excited to read about traveling to new places as we read about a young adventurer overcoming obstacles. This led to a great discussion about perseverance. Especially at the beginning of the year when we were discussing having a growth mindset and goal-setting. This article motivated my students to see that with practice and persistence anything is possible.

  This past week they read about the Titanic and their curious minds started asking lots of questions about how it happened and why. Our standards in Language Arts are to ask and answer questions about a text. Students had lots of questions and it made for an interesting class discussion. Some of my students who can be shy to ask questions enjoy participating when we are reading the weekly readers.

  In conclusion, Scholastic Readers have brought new content and learning into my classroom. They have allowed my students to become more engaged in discussions and have motivated them to participate more in class discussions. We read many texts in language arts, science, and social studies, but the interesting topics students read in Scholastic Readers not only connect to core vocabulary and enhance our lessons, but expose students to new ideas. Thank you for your support and for allowing me to use this resource in my classroom.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. A.

  This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and 3 other donors.