My students arrived at school in August excited for in-person learning, lunch with friends, and brain breaks on the playground. By the end of the first week, every student had written their personal goal, decorated it, and hung it on the wall. Our classroom was decorated with those personal goals, classroom rules, and many learning manipulatives from the classes before them. Our room was full of fun and engaging material along our classroom theme of "Proud as a Peacock." These first graders were so excited to get to work this year and have a true school experience. On August 27, they were sent home to prepare for a hurricane.
My students left school on August 27 prepared to be out of school for at most two days; however, 49 days later, these children returned to a gutted room, devoid of all the materials they had created over two months earlier. Their personal goals were absent. The personal supplies they brought on the first day were destroyed. The decorations and manipulatives had been removed. The books that lined the shelves, and the shelves themselves, were lost due to the damage. All that was left was four bare walls.
The items on our list were chosen to make our classroom fun, engaging, and a few steps closer to what it was before Hurricane Ida. Many of the items will be used by students on a daily basis, such as crayons and Mr. Sketch markers. My goal is to make our classroom whole again, and for students to see it as they saw it on the first day. These items will help them be excited for school again.
About my class
My students arrived at school in August excited for in-person learning, lunch with friends, and brain breaks on the playground. By the end of the first week, every student had written their personal goal, decorated it, and hung it on the wall. Our classroom was decorated with those personal goals, classroom rules, and many learning manipulatives from the classes before them. Our room was full of fun and engaging material along our classroom theme of "Proud as a Peacock." These first graders were so excited to get to work this year and have a true school experience. On August 27, they were sent home to prepare for a hurricane.
My students left school on August 27 prepared to be out of school for at most two days; however, 49 days later, these children returned to a gutted room, devoid of all the materials they had created over two months earlier. Their personal goals were absent. The personal supplies they brought on the first day were destroyed. The decorations and manipulatives had been removed. The books that lined the shelves, and the shelves themselves, were lost due to the damage. All that was left was four bare walls.
The items on our list were chosen to make our classroom fun, engaging, and a few steps closer to what it was before Hurricane Ida. Many of the items will be used by students on a daily basis, such as crayons and Mr. Sketch markers. My goal is to make our classroom whole again, and for students to see it as they saw it on the first day. These items will help them be excited for school again.
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