Ms. Stephanie C's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 6

• Learning Feelings

  Funded Oct 13, 2023

  hope this note finds you well. I wanted to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for your generous donation of Diane Alber's book, "How Learning Feels: Spots of Feelings." Your support has had a remarkable impact on our 7th-grade class of students with diverse learning needs, including those who are non-verbal and verbal. Since receiving the books and various materials, we have integrated it into our curriculum in ways that have truly enriched our students' educational experience. One particular moment stands out vividly: a student with limited verbal skills, who typically finds expressing emotions challenging, took a profound step. They wrote a note, adorned with the pink "love" spot from the book, and left it on my desk. This small gesture spoke volumes about the impact of your donation. The book's and colorful materials, illustrations, and clear depictions of emotions have captivated our students, especially those who respond well to visual stimuli. It has become a pivotal tool in helping our non-verbal students recognize and communicate emotions more effectively. For our verbal students, it has broadened their emotional vocabulary and deepened their understanding of empathy and social interactions.

  Through activities inspired by the book, such as discussions and creative projects, our classroom has become a nurturing environment where emotional awareness is cultivated daily. Your support has not only enhanced our teaching methods but has also empowered our students to engage more confidently in expressing and understanding their feelings.

  Once again, thank you for your generosity and belief in our students' potential. Your contribution has made a tangible difference in their lives, fostering a supportive learning environment where every student can thrive.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Stephanie C

  This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community & an Anonymous Partner and 11 other donors.

• Flexible Seating

  Funded Aug 25, 2023

  I am writing to express my heartfelt gratitude for your generous donation of materials to our ASD classroom. These resources have already begun to make a tremendous difference in the lives of our students with diverse behaviors, educational, and sensory needs. The new resources have transformed our classroom environment into a more inclusive and supportive space. One specific project that has had a profound impact is our "Flexible seating." We have set up different stations with flexible seating such as wobble cushions, seat cushions, wobble seats, stools, and beanbags. These stations allow students to explore and engage with sensory experiences tailored to their individual needs. For instance, during educational lessons, seating flexibility promotes creativity and sensory integration. The flexibility of these resources has enabled us to cater to each student's unique sensory preferences and support their emotional regulation throughout the day. The opportunity to engage with these sensory tools not only captured their interest but also provided them with calming and comforting experiences. Their joy and enthusiasm were evident, highlighting the immediate impact these resources have had on creating a more sensory-friendly learning environment.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Stephanie C

  This classroom project was brought to life by The SONIC Foundation and 5 other donors.

• Financial Freedom

  Funded Apr 13, 2023

  I hope you are doing well. I am excited to share how our classroom's new financial literacy rescores focused on beginning financial literacy. Recently, we embarked on a project where students learned about basic financial literacy, including identifying money and solving simple money problems through play scenarios. The resources have created an engaging environment for these activities. For instance, we set up different "stores" around the classroom where students could "buy" and "sell" items using play money. Students played different real-life roles to set up a classroom store and to manage their money. With all the finical literacy resources now introduced in my classroom my students with ASD are getting to learn life long skills that will lead them to a road of independence. My students enjoy the freedom in the classroom to come up with their own ideas to incorporate play scenarios. Moving forward, our next steps include expanding our financial literacy unit to include more complex scenarios and introducing concepts like saving and budgeting. The financial literacy resources will continue to play a crucial role as we create "banking" stations and "savings" areas where students can learn about these new topics in an engaging play scenario for my students to grasp new knowledge.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Stephanie C

  This classroom project was brought to life by Charles Schwab Corporation.

• Task Analysis

  Funded Sep 7, 2022

  First and foremost, this your donation enhances the quality of education and learning experiences for students with ASD in my classroom. The individualized task boxes I was able to purchase thanks to your donation helps ensure that the students receive instruction and practice specifically designed to meet their strengths and challenges, promoting a more tailored and effective learning process. This personalization contributes to improved engagement, motivation, and progress, allowing the students to achieve their educational goals more successfully. Additionally, it fosters a sense of inclusion and belonging, as the students are receiving the support they need to thrive within the classroom environment. Furthermore, the impact extends beyond the classroom. Students with ASD often face challenges in building essential life skills, and the task boxes can facilitate their development in areas like communication, fine motor skills, and problem-solving. As these students grow and progress, they are better equipped to navigate daily life, improving their self-esteem and overall quality of life. In this way, a donation that supports the provision of individualized task boxes for students with ASD not only empowers them academically but also helps prepare them for a more independent and fulfilling future.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Stephanie C

  This classroom project was brought to life by Valhalla Foundation.

• Fine Motor Skills

  Funded Jan 6, 2023

  Thank you for your kind donation. Thanks to you my ASD students have been able to make gains in improving their fine motor skills. My students were so excited to see their new classroom materials in actions. Your donation went towards items into my classroom to prompt fine motor skills. A few items really have made an impact in my classroom. One item I feel that has made a huge impact is the Easy-Squeeze Scissors. These scissors have help my students gain muscle strength to hold and use adaptive scissors, with the hope they will gain enough muscle strength to use non adaptive scissors. Fine motor skills are needed for independence such as task as tie shoe's, buttoning shirt's and other dressing skills. Another item that has made an impact in my classroom is lacing letters. My student have been gaining muscle strength to hold bead and lacing string all on their own. One of students has been practicing with the lacing letters how to spell his last name. Thanks to your donation my students are making gains that will lasts a lifetime with them.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Stephanie C

  This classroom project was brought to life by LOFT.

• Social Emotional Learning

  Funded Sep 7, 2022

  The books bought with your donations has helped my students with Autism learn and identify the many different emotions we feel as humans. Our classroom lessons have including reading the different books about emotions. My students currently are learning about the emotion of anger. Our current class lesson has been about anger and frustration. During our lesson of anger students were able to see the emotion of anger using A Little SPOT of Emotion 8 Plush Toys with Feelings Book Box. While reading the book students were reminded of what the emotion of anger looked using the plush toy. During our readings students are asked higher thinking order questions to scaffold their learning and understanding. Once students are able to independently identify their emotions in our classroom we have added the plush emotions into our calming corner. Our classroom calming corner is a safe place where students can go to and safety identify their emotions and pick the appropriate coping strategies. Without your donation my students with Autism would have a very difficult time identify emotions without the right tools and materials to support their learning.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Stephanie C

  This classroom project was brought to life by Valhalla Foundation and 2 other donors.