Past projects 6
Teacher Timesavers: No Need to Re-invent the Wheel
Funded Dec 30, 2022Thank you for your contribution to my project. This project gave me funds to use on TeachersPayTeachers, which gave me access to ready-made resources created by teachers. I was able to search for resources based on my students' needs and access them them instantly to use in my classroom.
I work with students with various needs and goals, from social-emotional needs to significant academic deficits. I am constantly searching for and creating materials to use to engage them and meet their needs. It is very time-consuming. I was able to get a social skills curriculum to target skills such as identifying emotions, learning about self-regulation, and calming/coping strategies. I was also able to purchase ready-made "I Have, Who Has" games. This is an interactive card game my students love. The sets I got targeted counting, number recognition, and letter recognition. Since I caught these materials when they were on sale, I was able to maximize these funds and also get a set of pictures with "wh" questions to spark conversation and model language.
These resources have been such an asset to my classroom and have saved me a ton of time finding/creating resources. I am very grateful for your donation.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Shaw
This classroom project was brought to life by an Anonymous Classroom Supporter and 2 other donors.Ordinary Supplies for an Extraordinary Environment
Funded Oct 26, 2022Thank you so much for your contribution to my class project, "Ordinary Supplies for an Extraordinary Environment."
Binders, dry erase markers, cardstock paper, and velcro dots may seem like basic materials, but I use them daily for my classroom to run smoothly and make materials for my students. Each student has a binder and individual schedule. They use their marker to check their schedule and check off the routines/tasks that they complete. Some students have other individualized tools, such as work contracts, behavior self monitoring, or emotion/self-regulation tools made from cardstock and velcro. They use these throughout the day to stay on track and/or self-regulate. The reusable resources I can make with cardstock, a printer, and a laminator is endless.
These supplies also help keep me organized and ready for each group in my fast paced day. Binders help me organize teaching materials by units/subjects. I use the magazine holders to sort materials for each group so no instructional minutes are wasted. One of the best parts about this projects is most of these supplies can be use over and over again. Thank you again for helping me make every minute count in my classroom.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Shaw
This classroom project was brought to life by Panda Cares and one other donor.Books for Little People with BIG Emotions
Funded Nov 13, 2022Thank you so much for your donation that provided books to my little people with BIG emotions. I have used these books to help teach social skills.
I have several students that were having difficulty with regulating their emotions. It affected how they functioned in the classroom and also disrupted their peers. When I read-aloud to my students, they are able to make connections to the characters and relate to their selves. It opens discussions and helps my students build vocabulary. I had some students who only used the words happy, sad, and mad to describe how the felt. They have started using a wider range of words to describe their feelings, such as frustrated, worried, tired, calm, proud, etc.... Mindfulness read-alouds and practices from the books has also guided my students to slow down and check-in with themselves. These books have helped me take big concepts and present them in a way my little people understand. Now that they are more mindful about how they feel, we have started working towards using coping strategies to work through our emotions.
My little people still have some BIG emotions, but they are making progress in managing them more appropriately. These books were a great addition too my Social-Emotional Learning Library.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Shaw
This classroom project was brought to life by Seed to Read and 2 other donors.Stories to Spark Social Emotional Learning
Funded Aug 9, 2022Thank you for your contribution to my classroom library. My first few years in this role, I worked to build my classroom library with leveled books and phonics readers. As the needs of my students has changed, my classroom library needed a change also. With many more students with Social-Emotional needs, I needed books to help teach those skills.
With the help of your donation, I now have books to help meet those social-emotional needs. Reading these books with my students have helped them develop their emotional vocabulary beyond happy, mad, and sad. My students are beginning to identify emotions such as frustrated, excited, disappointed, proud, etc... They are using these words to describe their own emotions and understanding how others are feeling. We are relating to characters in our read-alouds to understand how situations affect our emotions and what we can do about them. We are also using books to understand important social skills, such as being kind, showing respect, and making friends.
Your donation has had a positive impact on my students. I look forward to continue using these books with my students.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Shaw
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill Gates and one other donor.Wobble Those Wiggles Away
Funded Sep 23, 2021Thank you for your support in creating a better learning environment by providing quality resources for my students. The students that come to my classroom love having the option to sit and work in a seat that allows them some movement and sensory input. The wobble chairs have improved the focus of my students. The Teacherspayteachers give card has been such an asset to me and my students as well. I have used it to find ready made materials specific to the needs of my students with autism and reading disabilities.
The students were so excited to come in and find the new seats compared to the standard chairs they used to sitting in and couldn't wait to try them out. I hope to offer even more flexible seating options in the future, such as exercise balls.
Thank you again for your contribution to my classroom. Please know that you have made a positive impact on several sweet students.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Shaw
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 5 other donors.Struggling Readers Searching for Success
Funded Mar 6, 2020I have students that come into my classroom in grades Kindergarten through 4th grade. Most of my students are reading two or more grade levels below their peers in their other classrooms. While their grade level teachers do as much as they can to help them, they are often presented with grade level tasks that just frustrate them as the material is much higher than their current level, thus they don't often experience success.
However, when students come to my classroom, I get to meet them where they are. I strive to use materials that are just at their current level so that they can experience success and gain confidence in reading and use materials that are right above their current level, along with some instruction in order for them to progress. The leveled readers that were obtained through this project allow me to have a set of books that stay in my classroom that my students can get their hands on daily. They have some go-to books they can successfully read independently and I have some books I can pull to go along with phonics instruction or they can practice reading a new sight word in context.
Although, I have had limited face to face instruction with my students since I have gotten these books, the students have gotten to experience reading with confident and have shown some progress through instruction while using the leveled readers. We are so thankful to have these in our classroom library.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Shaw
This classroom project was brought to life by A group of anonymous donors and 4 other donors.