Past projects 16
Learning Is Fun!
Funded Jan 30, 2024Thank you so very much for your kind and generous donations. Teachers Pay Teachers is such a valuable resource. It allows me to find fun lessons that motivate my students (and me), and bring learning to life.
The "One Word" project was a great change from the usual "New Year's Resolution" teachers typically have kids do, and was a fun way to kick off our return to school after winter break. I am so proud of the work they did!
"Picture Pie', which is a lesson based on a book by Ed Emberly, was a meaningful way for students to use fractions while engaging their creative minds.
And I found a fabulous lesson on solar eclipses and introduced my students to pinhole cameras as well.
All of these lessons - and more! - were made possible by this project - and you! We so appreciate you!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Baba
Gong Hay Fat Choy!
Funded Dec 21, 2022Thank you so much for your very generous donation. While I did not get the materials in time to be able to effectively plan a project using our new Cricut for The Year of the Rabbit, you can be sure that I will be ready for The Year of the Dragon.
Doing this project, however, did inspire me to have my class learn about Chinese New Year. One of my student's parents came in to share how her family celebrates Lunar New Year. Our class was gifted with "lai see" (lucky red envelopes) and enjoyed "kam" (Mandarin oranges, the Cantonese word for which sounds like the word for gold) and delicious lucky candies.
We had the opportunity to use the Cricut to make costumes for our Magnet Musical program. Our class sang and danced two numbers from Moana. We created t-shirts with a Maui-esque "tattoo" design that we ironed on. Our kids LOVED their costumes, as did the audience. And they absolutely crushed their performance! I am so excited for all of the possibilities your generous donation brings to my classroom.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Baba
This classroom project was brought to life by Panda Express and 4 other donors.Learning Is Fun!
Funded Aug 10, 2022Thank you so much for your generous donations to our project, Learning is Fun! The invaluable resources from Teachers Pay Teachers that your donations helped to provide have already had an incredible impact on our students.
One of my TPT purchases was a STEAM activity called Save Fred, in which students worked cooperatively to save a gummy worm ("Fred") from drowning after his "boat" capsized. They could not touch Fred with anything but the paperclips, could not stab him, and had to work to get him into the gummy lifesaver. Coming up with a plan, and then executing it involved the scientific method. They still talk about this activity, and continue to build on their experience as we have fun learning with other STEAM activities.
Another TPT purchase was a Personal Narrative Writing Unit. Many of my students were already proficient writers - at a 2nd grade level. Some were reluctant writers. After completing our unit, all are much better writers, and many now write just for fun, working on "Additional Masterpieces" in their spare time. It was such a pleasure sharing their published Masterpieces with parents during our report card conferences. "I can't believe my child wrote that!" was a common comment.
And you, dear donors, made this all possible.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Baba
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Funder and one other donor.Toner Please!
Funded Oct 24, 2021Thank you so very much for your generous donations. The toner that you helped provide for our previous Donors Choose project, our printer, is allowing us to continue using this valuable classroom resource. Our students are so motivated to write, and to do a good job with their writing, because they know that they will be "published" - i.e., printed.
We have completed two major writing projects so far this year: our personal narratives and our informational reports/research projects. The students learned how to import photos to show the adaptations of the animals they chose to write about. They are super excited for our next major writing unit, in which they will learn how to write an opinion essay.
One of my students said, "We're authors now! Our books have been published!" This is a sentiment shared by many - and keeps them motivated and excited to write.
I appreciate you!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Baba
Make Learning Fun!
Funded Aug 12, 2021Thank you so very much for your generous contributions to our project. Having a working printer has been critical for so many reasons. The one that's nearest and dearest to my heart, however, has been how motivating it has been for getting some of my students to write.
Knowing that their finished essays will be printed out on our new printer has really helped to push some somewhat-reluctant writers over the finish line. One student even exclaimed, "We're published authors now!" as he clutched his still-warm copy of his fiction narrative piece to his chest, grinning from ear to ear.
Again, thank you for your kindness and generosity!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Baba
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill Gates and 3 other donors.Basic Tools for School
Funded Aug 1, 2021Thank you so much for your generous contributions towards our new whiteboards. I can't wait to use them with my new class - they will be so excited! There's something about the impermanence of writing on a whiteboard that encourages students to try new ideas. They are also fantastic for brainstorming and working in pairs or small groups.
My students get so excited when it's time to get the whiteboards out. They are so motivated, no matter what the content area or activity. They also are really conscientious about using our new whiteboards responsibly, as well as treating materials with respect.
Again, thank you!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Baba
This classroom project was brought to life by Kleenex® Brand and one other donor.Laser Focused on a Proper Printer
Funded May 4, 2021Thank you so much for your generous support. The new printer brought so much excitement to our students when they learned it had been funded.
In this day of digital everything, there is something extra special about holding freshly printed copies of work you have poured your heart and soul into. Knowing their work would be printed out for them to share provided the extra motivation some of our students needed to do their best.
There was so much excitement in our classroom the day I printed out their Imaginative Narratives and students held them in their hands. One child even exclaimed, "We're authors now - our books have been published!"
Thank you for making this possible.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Baba
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 5 other donors.Tech Support for Distance Learning
Funded Sep 15, 2020Thank you so much for your generosity. We are all over the moon excited about our new laptop. In this age of Covid, having up-to-date technology is critical to being able to conduct class via Zoom. Our new laptop has really made a difference.
Having a touch-screen has been helpful. It allows me to hand-write messages when I comment on my students' work. This helps bring a more personal touch to our communication, which otherwise seems so mechanical. It also makes navigating Zoom a little more intuitive.
It also allows me to teach from our classroom more often, as my daughter and I need to share my personal laptop for some of her classes. With this additional device, I am able to go to school. Our students get so excited when I'm there and insist that I turn the virtual background off - then the can see our room.
Teaching and learning virtually is far from ideal. Having updated technology makes it a little easier.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Baba
Seat Sacks - Organization for Flexible Seating
Funded Aug 28, 2019Thank you so much for your incredibly generous donation. My class absolutely loves their seat sacks. When I announced that you had funded them, they spontaneously stood up and cheered!
I placed the seat sacks on the chairs after my students had already left for the day. The next morning, they immediately noticed the new additions to our classroom. There was a collective gasp, and a chorus of "Whoa!" and "Awesome!" rose up. Many even cheered!
When I told them it was my brother and his family who had funded this project, they asked if it was the same brother in "The Big Hill," the story that I used to model Personal Narrative Writing. You will see a number of references to this in their thank-you letters.
On a personal note, they definitely bring Dad back into my classroom. I do my best to honor his memory and legacy each day.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Baba
Print Me!
Funded Sep 9, 2012Thank you so much for your generosity in helping my class obtain a new printer/copier. I can't begin to tell you how much use it has gotten already, and how my students have benefited from it. I use it to print student work, make worksheets for my class, communicate with parents so we can work together to help their children, and make copies of lessons to share with my colleagues.
Like many schools and school districts today, we are facing huge budget shortfalls. Without your generosity, we would not have needed materials and equipment like this printer and would just have to go without.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Baba
This classroom project was brought to life by Teachers Rock and 3 other donors.