Past projects 11
Working With Friends to Learn About Our World
Funded Aug 24, 2016My students and I have been so busy lately! Thanks to these amazing resources, students are reading and writing about current, interesting articles for homework and independent work. The wiggly chairs are a class incentive, and students have been using character slips to buy them for a day. This practice encourages good behavior throughout the day. Students use dividers and pocket charts everyday to stay focused and on-task. One student was so excited for these materials that he asked to carry the wiggly chair around all day! It was hard to contain his excitement as he swung it over his head. He was truly motivated to move while he worked.
When my students first saw the materials, they were overjoyed and shocked. "Miss, what's that?" they asked each time a new package came in. When I told them the materials were all for them, their eyes lit up and then quickly turned to disbelief. Why would strangers buy them all these tools? It served as a great lesson in gratitude and helped my students feel valued.
As we enter 2017, work in 103 is just beginning. I am delving deeper into Time for Kids and using the articles for research projects. Students are going to take charge of goal-setting using the pocket charts and binders/dividers. Our listening station will be up in full swing thanks to these rechargeable batteries. And of course, everything will be reusable and laminated thanks to the amazing laminator! With your help I will guide students to researching topics that interest them while working in peer and teacher-guided groups. Thank you for your help.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Thompson
Creating a Comfortable Learning Environment
Funded Mar 22, 2016Hi friends and family!
Thank you again for your generous donation to my class. The kids were so excited when I told them about our new tools! The smiles on their faces when the materials arrived were genuine and joyful. I got to teach students a valuable lesson in generosity, and reassure them that many people - even ones they haven't met - want them to succeed. Thank you for that.
The headphones help cancel noise and let students focus on their work during computer time. The simple bubble timers have probably gotten the most use! It's amazing how quickly some colorful timers can cheer up a sad kid. The stopwatches provide motivation for students to beat their old time on math and sight word flashcards. Thanks to the simple trashcan, I can easily wash out spills. Finally, the games have been a great addition to our Fun Fridays. I get to see students teach each other, make new friendships, and learn important social skills.
As we approach the end of the school year, I am using these materials to help students enjoy the last days of 2nd grade. Getting a new teacher and going away all summer can scare a lot of kids, and with your help I can help ease the transition. Next year I plan on improving my classroom further with more group work, timers, flashcards, headphones, and organization items.
Thank you for believing in me and my students! :-)”
With gratitude,
Ms. Thompson