Past projects 16
Essentials for a Growing Classroom
Funded Mar 25, 2025Thank you so very much for funding my project and seeing that my students succeed. As a special education teacher, my students sometimes need extra resources to make it possible for them to thrive and you’re allowing me to provide that to them. This project will help meet the diverse sensory needs of my students, allow them to share in the reward of their positive choices, and provide them with more options to be successful. Thank you again!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Hayes
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and one other donor.We've Got Sensory Needs!
Funded Feb 28, 2020Thank you for providing my students with sensory items! These items allow my students who often need sensory breaks to keep their hands and bodies busy or calm, depending on their needs. My students look forward to using these items and they have become a very valuable part of our classroom! They enhance learning because students are able to take the break they need and then return to work calm and regulated, or use sensory items in tandem with their work.
Thei impact of your kindness will be felt everyday as these items help to foster focus, calmness, and engagement. We are incredibly grateful for support and are truly thankful for your commitment to my students' well-being and success. Thank you again!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Hayes
Let's Start the Year Off "Write"!
Funded May 7, 2024This project was a hit! Thank you so much!
Stocking our "Rainbow Box" with fun writing supplies has really taken off in the classroom. Students love being able to choose a fun pen or pencil, notebook, sticky notes, or eraser, as prizes for their hard work.
My intention for this project was that students could earn rewards that would get them writing in non-traditional and fun ways. I have one student who has earned 4 little notebooks and is currently writing a comic with several volumes. I have a student who writes little notes for their classmates on the sticky notes. And I have another student who makes " to do lists" on their sticky notes. Getting the kids writing in any way at all really helps them improve handwriting, spelling skills, and increases their interest in our writing lessons as well.
Thank you for such a successful project!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Hayes
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and one other donor.Flexible Seating for Flexible Learning
Funded Aug 14, 2024When my students found out that flexible seating was going to be implemented this year, with several options, they were so excited! I was a little nervous to start the journey of having students spread throughout the room and wondered if it would work the way I hoped. Well, my students proved to me that I had nothing to worry about. They use the standing desks, floor desks and seats, and carpets with such responsibility. I have not had to take flexible seating away from a single student! They come in, mark their choice for flexible seating, get it when it's time, and get to work!
When you walk into my classroom, you may notice that most of the traditional desks are empty and you'll see students sitting on the floor, standing at their standing desks, or workin on their belly on the rug that was provided. But you'll also notice that they are all actively engaged in their work in a way that works for them. Some of my students do best in their traditional desks but just need the stretchy band around the legs to allow them to get out their energy in a way that's not disruptive to the rest of the class.
The flexible seating you have provided has made a profound difference in our classroom because my students are able to work in a way that works for them! I would go so far as to say that productivity has increased from last year to this year because of my intential use of flexible seating in our classroom.
Thank you again for all of your support and donations!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Hayes
This classroom project was brought to life by The Gates Foundation and 5 other donors.Strong Start With Snacks and Supplies
Funded Aug 14, 2024Thank you for the snacks, edible reinforcers, and basic supplies that helped get the school year started off right!
Being able to start the school year off with a classroom stocked with snacks and treats positively impacted my students because a few of my kids come to school hungry and even inbetween school-provided meals, need a little extra fuel to get through the day. I provide my students with one snack per day and if they need an extra, we never say no. Students who are hungry aren't learning. My students enjoy the variety of snacks they have access to and there's something for everybody's taste.
The edible reinforcers or edible rewards have also been helpful. I don't heavily use edible reinforcers but some students really respond well to them and like being able to work toward having a bag of chips or a sweet treat. Teaching in a social emotional learning classroom means that you have to have a variety of positive reinforcers: tangible, edible, and experience-based, to help motivate students and keep them invested in their learning. So thank you for the treats!
Finally, I really appreciate the basic supplies you provided the classroom. Being able to have bandaids that actually stick when you apply them has been a blesssing. No one likes a band aid that constantly falls off. My students eat both their breakfast and their lunch inside my classroom and that means desks can get messy and the clorox wipes help keep the room clean. And my kids LOVE the new dry erase markers that were donated because of the vibrant colors and how well they work and everyone wants to be the person that gets to use them.
Thank you again for all that you provided to make a successful start to the school year!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Hayes
This classroom project was brought to life by The Gates Foundation and 2 other donors.More Flexible Seating and Heaphones with Mics!
Funded Sep 18, 2024Thank you for providing additional flexible seating options for my classroom and headphones with mics! My students have really been enjoying the flexible seating that we do in our classroom and the lap pads provide the perfect opportunity for them to sit and do work on the floor on carpets or on floor seats that were provided through previous Donors Choose projects. These lap pads have been really helpful for my students to hold their chromebooks and write while sitting in a space that is comfortable and works for them.
A big thanks is also due for the headphones with mics that were donated! These headphones are really high-quality, comfortable, and the mics work really well so that my students can easily be heard on the Amira reading program that we use. A lot of my students have sensory needs so comfortable headphones that weren't too heavy or tight, yet high-quality was a must for my kids. I have not received a single complaint from students about having to use these headphones and that was a big problem in the past, in addition to having headphones that would break easily or not work properly. This solved a large issue in our classroom, so thank you so much!
Every project you help fund truly improves our classroom environment and makes learning more fun and accessible for each student!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Hayes
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community & an Anonymous Partner and one other donor.Sensory Activity Set Up
Funded Aug 15, 2023I'm going to start off by saying that every classroom, office, and home should have a zen garden! So, thank you for providing that for my students! Our zen garden gets used on a daily basis, and in a classroom where things aren't always treated with the uptmost respect, this zen garden never spilled a single grain on sand unless it was an accident! This goes along with the remaining sensory items that I requested.
My students really loved the knotted pillow because they could bury their arms in it and decompress. Some students would put the weighted lap pad on their lap and then use the pillow to compress their arms. The theraputty is also a way for them to be able to physically use their energy to calm themselves or relax. The various strengths of the putty were preferred by different students so that worked out very well!
The most used resource from this project are noise-cancelling headphones. Some of my students get over stimulated from auditory stimulation very easily. Whether it's the sound of other students talking, the sound of break items being manipulated, the noisy cafeteria, or at things like school-wide assemblies, my students need breaks from the noise sometimes. My students know exactly where they are at and will independently grab them whenever needed and a few even keep a pair at their desk at all times.
Thank you for helping support students who have a variety of sensory needs, be able to feel safe, calm, and regulated in their classroom environment. It really does make a large impact on their days!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Hayes
This classroom project was brought to life by The SONIC Foundation and 4 other donors.Supplies and Surprises!
Funded Aug 9, 2022Thank you for funding this project that provided much needed supplies and positive reinforcers for my students.
The items in this project allowed me to organize my classroom more effectively and make the classroom run more efficiently. I was able to set up a nice snack area that made snack time run much more smoothly. I am able to stock it up with a variety of snack options to keep the students happy throughout the day. The wire desktop organizers made the perfect "mail boxes" for my students to keep their work and important things to go home. With the laminator paper I was able to laminate many resources that I need to provide my students. This not includes things like place value mats, deep breathing reference sheets, yoga position cards, and so much more. Being able to laminate things means that I can reuse them many times without having to replace them. ”
With gratitude,
Ms. Hayes
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill Gates and 7 other donors.Positive Behavior Rewards and a Standing Desk
Funded Aug 15, 2023I appreciate all of your donations that led to the funding of this project. My students really benefit from having a variety of positive behavior rewards to keep them motivated and help build their confidence in the classroom. Working really hard on an academic or using a pre-taught social skill can be something that is daunting for my students. Knowing that their efforts are rewarded in different ways helps keep interest and motivation to work on their goals. These rewards are earned through hard work along with verbal positive praise so that they truly know how proud I am of them!
My students really loved all of the rewards that were put into the "Rainbow Box" that we have in my classroom. They are drawn to fidgets and things with soft textures so all of the sensory items and mini stuffed animals were quickly adored and used by all who earned rewards. The rewards lasted a very long time and we still had some left at the end of the year!
There's a funny story with the standing desk. I initially added it to my project so that I could use it to tech with my books and laptop while standing in front of the class more easily. However, a couple of the students, with permission, "adopted" my standing desk to use it at various times throughout the week to stand to do their work. Having an adjustable height made it so students of different ages were able to work with it. It inspired me to create another project with more flexible seating options for my students.
Thank you again!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Hayes
This classroom project was brought to life by The SONIC Foundation and 2 other donors.Getting Comfy and Cozy with Reading and Writing!
Funded Jan 25, 2022Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Every classroom needs a cozy reading center where students can relax and enjoy a good book. This project has provided my students, many of whom have difficulty with reading and writing, with the ability to practice writing skills, social skills, and has given them the opportunity to read in a safe environment.
Before this project, my students didn't enjoy reading as much as I would have liked them to and especially didn't like when they had to have reading time at their desks. With this new reading corner, my students can pick a book of their choice, or read their library book, while chilling on a giant fluffy pillow, on the carpet, or in the floor chair. My students now regularly ask me if they can go to the reading area to read when they are done with their work.
The parargraph writing journals have also been really helpful. In addition to the district curriculum for writing, it allowed me to teach students how to write paragraphs in a more creative yet organized way. I enjoyed being able to see all of their work in one journal and look through at the progress they made throughout it's usage. It's definitely a resource that I will be purchasing again.
Thank you for all of your donations and willingness to help my students have every chance at success!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Hayes
This classroom project was brought to life by Utah State Board of Education.