Ms. Nau's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 5

• "Ordinary" Supplies to Support "Extraordinary" Students

  Funded Dec 4, 2024

  Thank you so much for your generous donations to my classroom !! Students were so excited to get their own highlighters to highlight their texts while reading. Different colors are used to highlight different aspects of the text. You'd be amazed how this interaction engages students in reading.

  Students also love to see their work posted on the large poster-sized "Post-It" notes !! Student exemplars are all over our walls hanging from this poster paper.

  The organizational baskets and hole puncher are great additions to our room as well !! No longer are our counters a mess of papers. They are neat and organized.

  Additionally, the large whiteboard sits at the front of the room and includes a calendar of events, homework assignment due dates, along with student photos.

  Thanks so much for making our classroom more manageable, functional, and inspirational !!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Nau

  This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 2 other donors.

• Bind a Beanie: Bring Joy this Holiday Season

  Funded Dec 4, 2023

  Thank you so much for your generous donation !!! The knitting looms, yarn, and accessories have allowed students to learn a new skill while also finding that hobbies and using their hands to create is a great way to reduce stress, problem solve, and to find a sense of pride in one's creation.

  At first, most students were frustrated with getting their hats started, but after a few days, and with the help of classmates and myself, slowly but surely students got the hang of this type of weaving. As their hats started to form, students became more excited, and worked even faster to get their hats done. Once completed, students made and attached a "pom pom" then packaged and gave their hat to someone special in their lives. Each student then made another hat to keep for themselves.

  I was so happy to see students walking into class and asking if they could work on their hats. Instead of reminding students to put their phones away or to stop playing video games on their chrome books, it was so gratifying to see my 7th graders calmly weaving away while having fun chatting it up with classmates.

  This service learning project really impacted students - they appreciated the escape from their technological world to take some time to breathe and create. They so enjoyed making these hats that now my students are now asking me how to weave blankets. I'm so thankful that my 21st-century students were able to enjoy a simple thing in life that brought them joy, satisfaction, and a sense of accomplishment. Students today need more of these down-to-earth learning opportunities. This wouldn't have been possible without your generous donation !!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Nau

  This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 4 other donors.

• Telling Time in a Digital World

  Funded Aug 4, 2023

  Thank you so much for supporting my students in learning how to tell time on an analog clock !! It seems like such a simple skill that students should learn in elementary school, but as a middle-school teacher, I'm just amazed by how many students can't tell time. This generation of students, who are given answers through Internet search engines, AI, social media, and told the time by digital clocks, really need to tap into the power of their own brains - and this can start with the simple skill of telling time.

  To go along with your donation of clock manipulatives and flashcards, I created daily "Do Nows" to teach this concept. We reviewed the parts of an analog clock, the meaning behind the different hands and dashes, and then practiced telling time using the clock manipulatives you donated. After two weeks of Do Nows, I would say that about 75 percent of students who couldn't tell time on an analog clock now can !! I plan on continuing to review this skill throughout the year so that this percentage will increase. I have one student who mentioned that he felt so smart knowing that there was meaning behind all the dashes and hands on the clock. A clock to him was once just something on a wall with no meaning - now he understands. Thank you for your support in opening the minds of middle schoolers, (and also for the supplies with supply boxes) !!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Nau

• Reading to Learn...English

  Funded Nov 30, 2022

  Thank you so very much for your support allowing me to purchase a class set of "Charlie & the Chocolate Factory" for my English Learner class. Students are really enjoying this book !! It's quite difficult to find a lower-level reading book for middle-schoolers that are high interest. Students also love the fact that they can hold a book in their hands rather than reading an online version. And, the shelves are great !!! I received five total, and they are the perfect size to hold novels. Also, the headphones purchased are so helpful to students !! English Learners are required to take various State tests where headphones are required. I let students use the headphones purchased for testing, and they were so thankful. These headphones are like night and day from the school provided earbuds that barely work.

  Both my students and I thank you so much for your generous donation to our class. I can't thank you enough !!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Nau

  This classroom project was brought to life by an Anonymous Classroom Supporter and 7 other donors.

• To invest in books is to invest in the future..

  Funded Jan 16, 2019

  What a WONDERFUL surprise to get your generous donation !!!! I have the biggest smile on my face !!! I'm sooo excited to tell my students, colleagues, and friends about this meaningful donation that you've made to our classroom !!!!! I'm just ecstatic !!

  Our school no longer has a library - it's been transformed into a media center. This means that 90% of the books that were in the library are now floating around the District somewhere, and we are left with a small cart of of nonfiction material stuck in the corner of our once library. I was heartbroken when the powers at be chose destroy our library. Since then, it has been my mission to create the best classroom library in my room !!! And now, thanks to you, I can.

  I teach four ALD classes that include long-term English learners. These students have been in U.S. schools for 6 or more years and still aren't "proficient" in English. In this day of technology, where kids are on YouTube and playing video games constantly, it's not surprising that most of these English Learners do not pass the "reading" section of the test that allows them to reclassify as English proficient.

  I'm so excited to receive up-to-date materials and books for my students to read and check out for at-home reading - which will directly impact their reading comprehension. Now, I can create a classroom library with high-interest books for students allowing them to develop a love of reading and learning.

  I am just so thankful and feel so blessed. This has been my dream since last year, and now I can make it happen thanks to your generous contribution !!!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Nau

  This classroom project was brought to life by Farmers Insurance and 6 other donors.