Past projects 20
Making Math Concepts Tangible
Funded Oct 19, 2021Thank you for donating to my classroom math project. We have been so busy in so many ways. We have been solving equations by jumping up and down our giant number line! We have been playing the game Clumsy Thief so much that the cards have to be taped back together---and our combinations to 10 skills are lightning fast as a result! We use our tens frame magnet board every single day during morning meeting to count the days we have been in school and how many more days we have until the 100th day of school!
Your support for my classroom is so appreciated and is truly making a difference in the lives of my students. Thank you again.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Dwyer
This classroom project was brought to life by General Motors and 5 other donors.Robust Read Alouds!
Funded Dec 1, 2021Thank you donors for allowing me to teach from diverse sources of storytelling. We have laughed and gasped and lived alongside so many characters from our new library collection. Students connected in particular to titles like " The Girl with Big Big Questions," "The Boy with Big Big Feelings", and "The Magical Yet". The holiday books have brought about new understanding of culture. Each and every book has beautiful pictures that inspire us.
Thank you for caring about NYC public education. Thank you for caring about literacy and the impact it has on students.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Dwyer
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 10 other donors.Building Our Imaginations!
Funded Oct 2, 2021Thank you for helping to BUILD OUR IMAGINATIONS!!
The last 2 years have had lasting consequences regarding student socialization and learning. The tools that you provided for my classroom have helped bring creativity, imagination, play, and socialization around a common theme.
The castle and dollhouse are a huge hit and children dream up scenarios with knights protecting puppies and princesses galloping off to explore new worlds. The cooperative games have brought about wonderful experiences and discussions about working as a team, having fun together, and what it means to be a good sport.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for caring enough to support NYC classrooms.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Dwyer
Writing Remotely!
Funded Jan 26, 2021This has been a year like no other in so many ways. It has been a true challenge to teach writing to 1st grade students learning remotely from home. These writing workbooks have been a true game changer!! We started the year using a simple marble notebook for writing and the simple shift to having the children working from the same structured workbook has really anchored their learning.
I see growth in their writing skills, organization of their thoughts, and connections to new ideas! I can't thank you enough for caring and contributing to my classroom.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Dwyer
Seamless Technology and Digital Resources
Funded Sep 29, 2020Thank you for the opportunity to have new technology during this hectic and stressful teaching time.
Teaching first graders through a screen is very challenging. With my document camera connected, I am able to model all sorts of thinking in real time for my students to see. The students are able to see my model work and improve their own. They have seen me write stories, make words from all different letters, followed along in drawing activities, and seen my solve math problems through trial and error. Additionally, with the Teachers Pay Teachers gift card I have been able to purchase digital games and lessons to differentiate my lessons to engage students.
Without your donations, this year would be even harder. Thank you for gifting the gift of technology to my classroom.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Dwyer
A Library Full of Cultural Representation, Connection, and Community
Funded Jun 25, 2020First off, thank you again for your support of my classroom! It has been such a gift to our classroom community. Teaching remotely is a entirely new world where you can often feel disconnected or for lack of a better word "far away." Each time I read one of the books from this collection, It is wonderful to see their excitement grow and their interest peak as we were able to share in the beautiful pictures and stories together!
We have really loved connecting out lives to stories. A few favorites have been "Saturday", "IslandBorn", "Festival of Colors", and "Mango, Abuela, and Me." Due to the various levels of quarantine in NYC, I feel like these books allow for a lovely escape into a new world.
I am such a firm believer in the power of literacy and access to exciting and engaging reading material. Thank you for making a monetary donation to this project and making a whole classroom feel so much closer together!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Dwyer
This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and 2 other donors.A Picture Book Read Aloud Treasury!
Funded Sep 18, 2019First off, thank you again for your support of my classroom! It has been such a gift to our classroom community. When we first received the shipment, I spread all the books out on the rug and allowed the children to browse. It was wonderful to see their excitement grow and their interest peak as they took in the variety of what what in front of them! I truly believe they could have explored the books for hours if given the time!
The word play books by Janik Coat (Llamaphones, Hippopposites, and Rhymoceros) really cracked the students up but also made them think about word relationships! We were also inspired by the book "Take Your Pet to School Day" and got a hermit crab as a class pet!!!
I am such a firm believer in the power of literacy and access to exciting and engaging reading material. Thank you for making a monetary donation to this project and making a whole classroom so much richer!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Dwyer
Endless Opportunities with 3D Pens
Funded Oct 16, 2019Oooohs! Aaaaaaahs!! Wows!! Giggles!!! These are some of the sounds I heard when we first began to use our 3D pens! My students were in awe over this new technology. They first practiced drawing in the air and tracing shapes to make 3D letters. We are now beginning to create more individualized creations! Each week students have access to the 3D pens and time to create either a personal art piece or show their understanding of an academic topic using the pens.
The simplicity of the devices makes our work so fun and accessible for everyone in the classroom. It is such a terrific new tool for us to utilize in our classroom and I want to thank everyone who donated to make it possible!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Dwyer
Encouraging Student Choice and Voice During Independent Time
Funded Jan 30, 2019I wish I could have recorded the "oohs" and "ahhhhhs" that I heard when I showed my students our new choice supplies. The literacy games are used as a daily morning starter and have been a hit! The art supplies have helped inspire art creations based on our read aloud books! Our STEM projects have been given a real boost...we've built bridges, boats, and airplanes so far! The resource books have fueled my imagination and excitement about weekly lessons. One student exclaimed "I always wanted to use these but I never thought I could!!" when I introduced her to the tempera paint sticks! It was a magical day when the students saw textures appearing for the first time when using the rubbing plates.
We are very grateful to everyone who took the time to donate to our class project. You made our classroom a brighter place!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Dwyer
Step Into STEM in First Grade!
Funded Aug 31, 2018Thank you so very much for supporting my very first DonorsChoose project! The STEM materials are amazing and my students were excited from the moment I opened the box.
Students have been working collaboratively and independently to construct structures such as homes, bridges, and chairs. We have created classroom posters with ideas on what has been working and what things we need to "send back to the drawing board!" The STEM centers have allowed my students to problem solve, design, and try and try again which is what every teacher dreams of! There is nothing better than hearing, "Ms. Dwyer, come look! I think I made my structure stronger!!" or hearing one students say to another "Can you show me how you built that? I would like to try."
Thank you again for giving my students this gift. It has been and will continue to be a treasure of my first grade classroom!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Dwyer