Building Thinkers and Team Players

Funded Nov 19, 2016

Thank you so much for your generous donation to our classroom. It is appreciated more than you will ever know. I have been thinking about doing this for years, and thanks to your generosity, it finally became a reality. The kids were very excited to receive the materials and I am equally delighted to see the skills and behaviors I had hoped for are also showing up!

The marble run is probably the most popular among the boys. When the kit first arrived, the kids enjoyed making the marble runs, but they were holding the pieces in place and tilting it so the marble would run from top to bottom. I challenged them to make it so that it could stand on its own. Over the next few days they became better at building structures that could stand alone. About a week later, they built a successful marble run that was taller than they are and could stand without being held in place. They were so proud of themselves! When another student asked how they were able to build it, one student responded, "Teamwork!"

The girls seem especially drawn to the Magna-Tiles. They often say that they are building a castle for a princess and will show me the different parts of the house. This often leads to discussions about three-dimensional shapes. I was so glad to hear one of the girls say, "We're all going to work together today so we can make the biggest castle ever!" With each passing day, the castle has been getting a little bigger and more involved. I have to add that we haven't had an argument yet involving the building materials. They have been able to work through their disagreements on their own. The feeling of community in my classroom has definitely grown stronger.

In years past it has been a struggle to get my students to work quietly at their seats until other students finish eating breakfast, everyone arrives, and instruction can officially begin. For some kids, that was a half hour of seat work by the time the rest of their classmates even arrived. It just didn't feel right to have seven year olds sit still and be quiet for so long. Since the materials have arrived from our Donors Choose project, our mornings have become joyful and feel more purposeful. The students come in eager to work and play together, and when it is time to clean up, the students are ready to sit down and get to work in the traditional fashion as well. Please know that your donation has had a very positive effect on my students and the culture in my classroom.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Brown