Past projects 8
A Marvelous Math Center
Funded Sep 28, 2018Thank you for helping to fund our Math Center project! It is crucial that first graders use concrete representations to solve math problems. With your help, I will be able to fully stock a Math Center with manipulatives and other tools that students will be able to access independently during Math Workshop. We appreciate your support!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Lewis
Cozy Corner and Sensory Space
Funded Sep 17, 2018I am so excited that our Cozy Corner project has been fully funded! I can't wait to create this soothing, comforting space and teach my students how to use it to help them manage emotions and stay calm. These tools will make our classroom even more supportive and cozy. Thank you so much for your contribution!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Lewis
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 15 other donors.Space and Supplies for Small Groups
Funded Jan 18, 2018As a teacher, I am constantly observing students at work and recalibrating my practice to better meet their needs. Sometimes that means rewriting lesson plans as I'm teaching them. Sometimes it means differentiating assignments or creating specific tools to scaffold individual students' work. Sometimes it means hauling all of my desks to the basement and building a flexible seating classroom. But teaching children in small, personalized groups is the single most important way that I adapt instruction to maximize learning in my classroom.
These supplies have allowed me to design and teach engaging, targeting small group lessons AND create activity and supply bins that students can access independently while I am working with small groups. Our new teacher table is at the center of the room, and students love gathering around it to work with me. We are all so appreciative of your generous contributions and continued support of our community! Thank you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Lewis
Read Alouds for Social Justice
Funded Mar 27, 2018Wow! I was so excited to find out that my Social Justice Read Aloud Project has been funded. We've spent the last few months learning about leaders who have changed our world despite obstacles like discrimination and exclusion, and I can't wait to teach my students more about activism, peaceful protest, and diversity. Thank you for helping my students build a better and more beautiful world for all!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Lewis
This classroom project was brought to life by Ripple and 8 other donors.Flexible Seating for First Grade Friends
Funded Nov 10, 2017We love our new flexible seating options! We just finished up our first week of seat choice, and it has already transformed our classroom. When I send my students off to work independently after each minilesson, they are invited to select the seating option that works best for them.
Because of these new resources, students are building a stronger understanding of their unique learning needs, and are learning to make wise choices to support their own learning. With greater independence in their work, students are taking ownership of their learning, sustaining focus for longer, and developing crucial self-regulation skills.
Thank you for supporting our class community!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Lewis
Classroom Shelves and Storage
Funded Jan 22, 2018Thank you so much for your donations to support my classroom organization process! With your contributions, you are not only helping my classroom stay organized, beautiful, and efficient, but you are also helping my students to build independence and work independently. I'm so excited to expand our library and centers and share these new furniture additions with my students!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Lewis
Primary Ruled Notebooks for First Grade Journaling
Funded Nov 4, 2017It's been several weeks since we received our journals, and they've already become an integral part of our classroom culture and morning routine. When they first arrived, students decorated their journals by collaging with family photos and magazine pictures. They began writing immediately, and we've used our journals every day ever since!
Every morning, we end our Morning Meeting with a "share" question. (Recent share questions have included What's your favorite winter activity? What do you do to help out at home? If you were an animal, which one would you be?) After each student shares out loud, we all go back to our desks to add to our journals. Students know that the journals are their own private writing space that they can use however they want, so they can choose to write about a topic of their choice, journal about something that's on their mind, or use the share question as a writing prompt.
We also use our journals as part of our Peace Chair reflection routine. When a student is feeling frustrated, missing home, or is otherwise upset, they can take their journal to the Peace Chair. Writing and drawing helps students to express and process their feelings and calm down before rejoining the group. Sometimes, students also use their journals to communicate with me. If someone needs me to respond to a journal entry, they place it in my inbox and I respond on a Post-It note before returning it to the child's desk.
Our writing journals have had a tremendous impact in our room. Students are using writing as a tool to tell stories, reflect on events, manage emotions, and communicate with others. This week, we began our nonfiction units, and I can't wait to see how students use their journals to practice informational writing and reflect on their nonfiction reading!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Lewis
OT Tools to Support Kinesthetic Learners
Funded Nov 3, 2017These tools and seating options have truly transformed my classroom. Our four amazing wobble stools and two yoga ball seats are constantly in use, helping friends stay in motion AND keep their bodies safe and steady as they listen to a lesson or work independently at their seats. Our lap desks provide an optimal workspace for students who are more comfortable sitting on the floor. Fidgets and chair bands promote focus by keeping hands and feet busy while our brains are hard at work.
After each student had a turn trying out each tool that we received, everyone chose one tool that helped them the most. We tallied and compared our votes, then created a bar graph displaying the results of the poll. (Wobble stools were the favorite!) We also created a reference chart of tools that we can ask for to help us learn. In addition to the tools we received from this project, students suggested "personal space," "soft music," "snacks," and "helpers." This project not only provided tools that help us every day, but also helped me create a classroom environment in which students know that they can ask for the support and tools that they need.
These seating options have been such a hit that I'm now dreaming of replacing my clunky student desks with collaborative group tables and classroom-wide flexible seating. I love the way that students have learned to self-select the seats and tools that work best for them, and I hope to continue adding more and more choices into my classroom!
Thank you so much for your support.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Lewis