Past projects 2
New Year, New Supplies
Funded Jan 23, 2020In the time of COVID-19, I am especially grateful for the donations that helped me and my students before our time together was cut short. My classroom became a place where students would come in between classes to use some hand-sanitizer, grab some tissues or a cough drop, or find a snack. The dum-dum lollipops were especially a hit. After a few months, I had memorized which students preferred the mango versus the cream soda flavors and did my best to make sure everyone got their favorite. I am so thankful that I was able to say "yes! I have that!" on numerous occasions when my students or colleagues needed something. From rubber bands to band-aids, we seemed to have been blessed with it all.
It was period 5/6 when we got the call. We were in the middle of our unit on "The Crucible" when a voice came over my classroom phone from the main office, "Uhhh...Miss Tornquist...you have a lot of packages that have just arrived...." Several students jumped at the chance to leave class (not taking it personally!) and volunteered to bring everything up to my third-floor classroom. Soon, my class was filled with boxes as curious eyes looked on. All of the students who had shlepped boxes upstairs were rewarded in the most coveted of donated items: bottles of water and fruit snacks.
These supplies really helped to bring my classroom to life. My pencil boxes at my student-supply center were filled to the brim with new markers, crayons, and colored pencils. Students came from classrooms all over to see the wonders of the GREATEST pencil sharpener ever (you could take a tree branch and within seconds have a crafted Ticonderoga #2 with that thing!). One of my favorite memories was at the end of our Crucible unit. I had an "escape room" for my students to compete in, which tested their knowledge of our studies. The prize? A whole basket of goodies from your donations awarded to the winning team. I have never seen my students so motivated before. Almost every single student was engaged, running around the room looking for clues about McCarthyism and the Red Scare, or trying to find the poppet hidden in the room. It has easily become one of my favorite memories from this year of teaching. I'd like to think the students were just really into The Crucible...but maybe it had something to do with the donations!
Again, I want to thank you for your generous donations. These supplies helped turn my classroom into a little home where students felt comfortable, supported, and excited. It is even more special now, knowing that we won't spend our last 3 months together in person. We could have never expected this, but I am so, so grateful that I have the memories of this first (crazy!) official year of teaching.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Tornquist
This classroom project was brought to life by Anonymous Arts Supporter and 22 other donors.Possibilities Post Projector: Collaboration & Celebration in English Classrooms
Funded Aug 28, 2019The first year of teaching is never easy, especially at a school with limited resources. I cannot imagine how this first quarter would have gone without access to a projector and document camera. It's something I use nearly every single day in my classroom and we are endlessly grateful for your donation.
My English IV class (seniors) are currently reading a graphic novel called Hey, Kiddo which was published by a local author. As we don't have enough copies, the document camera allows me to project pages so that we can study them altogether. Our midterm project was creating a graphic memoir vignette (an example from a student attached in the photos). The projector gives us an opportunity to show off the artwork to the entire class and really celebrate the student work.
My English III class (juniors) are working through a unit on descriptive writing through food. We have watched documentaries such as Chef's Table to help engage different kinds of learners in the classroom. We have annotated articles together with the document camera. This group tends to be my most difficult, and the projector is such a helpful resource when it comes to keeping students focused.
In my English I class (freshman and sophomores), we are reading The Giver. As this class has a lot of students who are just learning English, we constantly use videos and class activities on the projector to help scaffold learning. Recently, we listened to a chapter from the audiobook through the projector to change up our reading in class. Soon, we will have a "Ceremony" that mimics scenes from the book. To further engage students, our projector and document camera adds an extra layer of fun by providing engaging slide shows, visuals, and music.
I use and appreciate these resources every single day. It keeps me from needing to print endless copies, to rewrite notes on the board, and from needing to rely on old teaching habits. Thank you so much for helping to bring my classroom into the 21st century. It means the world to us. (And thank you for helping me stay that much saner during my first year of teaching!)”
With gratitude,
Ms. Tornquist