You're on track to get doubled donations (and unlock a reward for the colleague who referred you). Keep up the great work!
Take credit for your charitable giving! Check out your tax receipts
To use your $50 gift card credits, find a project to fund and we'll automatically apply your credits at checkout. Find a classroom project
Skip to main content

Help teachers & students in your hometown this season!
Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.

Your school email address was successfully verified.

Mr. Puckett’s Classroom Edit display name

  • Nicholas Senn High School
  • Chicago, IL
  • More than half of students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

Support his classroom with a gift that fosters learning.

  • Monthly
  • One-time

We'll charge your card today and send Mr. Puckett a DonorsChoose gift card he can use on his classroom projects. Starting next month, we'll charge your card and send him a DonorsChoose gift card on the 17th of every month.

Edit or cancel anytime.

cancel

Support Mr. Puckett's classroom with a gift that fosters learning.

  • Monthly
  • One-time

We'll charge your card today and send Mr. Puckett a DonorsChoose gift card he can use on his classroom projects. Starting next month, we'll charge your card and send him a DonorsChoose gift card on the 17th of every month.

Edit or cancel anytime.

Make a donation Mr. Puckett can use on his next classroom project.

https://www.donorschoose.org/classroom/5011201 Customize URL

When you start playing a string instrument, perhaps the first challenge students have to contend with is holding the instrument. While it seems like, for example, the left hand holds the violin on one end and it rests on the player's shoulder, the left hand should actually be free to move along the neck of the violin to play different notes. The shoulder and chin should be used to keep the instrument "pinned" in place. For a new student, it is very tough, if not impossible to do this well! Students are afraid to move very much or utilize their left hand properly as they learn how to play the notes along the fingerboard, and it also doesn't encourage full bowing, since using a full bow requires a lot of arm movement that can destabilize their grip. Shoulder rests for our violinists and violas will make a massive difference in each player's confidence and ability to hold the instrument properly. Shoulder rests are designed to give a performer much more stability than playing without a rest, since they are shaped to contour to a shoulder. With a shoulder rest, students can stop worrying about the violin or viola slipping on their shoulder and holding it up with their left hand, and can focus on improving their technique on their instrument! We are also hoping to get cello endpin anchors so that our cellists don't have to contend with their cellos slipping along the floor while they play, also allowing them to focus on their technique. These tools will help not only in practice, but also help the musicians perform better as well!

About my class

When you start playing a string instrument, perhaps the first challenge students have to contend with is holding the instrument. While it seems like, for example, the left hand holds the violin on one end and it rests on the player's shoulder, the left hand should actually be free to move along the neck of the violin to play different notes. The shoulder and chin should be used to keep the instrument "pinned" in place. For a new student, it is very tough, if not impossible to do this well! Students are afraid to move very much or utilize their left hand properly as they learn how to play the notes along the fingerboard, and it also doesn't encourage full bowing, since using a full bow requires a lot of arm movement that can destabilize their grip. Shoulder rests for our violinists and violas will make a massive difference in each player's confidence and ability to hold the instrument properly. Shoulder rests are designed to give a performer much more stability than playing without a rest, since they are shaped to contour to a shoulder. With a shoulder rest, students can stop worrying about the violin or viola slipping on their shoulder and holding it up with their left hand, and can focus on improving their technique on their instrument! We are also hoping to get cello endpin anchors so that our cellists don't have to contend with their cellos slipping along the floor while they play, also allowing them to focus on their technique. These tools will help not only in practice, but also help the musicians perform better as well!

Read more

About my class

Read more
{"followTeacherId":5011201,"teacherId":5011201,"teacherName":"Mr. Puckett","teacherProfilePhotoURL":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5011201_orig.jpg?width=136&height=136&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1551720265934","teacherHasProfilePhoto":true,"vanityURL":"","teacherChallengeId":21047939,"followAbout":"Mr. Puckett's projects","teacherVerify":-928711775,"teacherNameEncoded":"Mr. Puckett","vanityType":"teacher","teacherPageInfo":{"teacherHasClassroomPhoto":true,"teacherHasClassroomDescription":true,"teacherClassroomDescription":"","teacherProfileURL":"https://www.donorschoose.org/classroom/5011201","tafURL":"https://secure.donorschoose.org/donors/share_teacher_profile.html?teacher=5011201","stats":{"numActiveProjects":0,"numFundedProjects":2,"numSupporters":17},"classroomPhotoPendingScreening":false,"showEssentialsListCard":false}}