Mrs. Baird's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 10

• Exploring the American Dream: Diverse Voices in Literature Circles

  Funded Jul 26, 2024

  I was so excited to introduce book clubs to my eleventh grade students, especially after early test results showed that nearly all of them are behind by at least three grade levels in reading.

  These books selections have kept my students engaged as we've participated in daily independent reading to help relax their minds and improve their reading skills. Many of them have been able to connect with the book they are reading.

  These books have also paired beautifully with our unit on the American Dream. Students have been seeking to answer the question: Does the United States still provide access to the American Dream? Their book club novels have helped provide them with evidence to support their positions.

  Thank you so much for your generosity! I couldn't do this without you.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Baird

• Basic Supplies for a Spectacular Year

  Funded Jul 24, 2023

  Thank you so much for providing my students with the basic supplies they need for this school year. They were so excited to have a notebook for English class. The glue sticks have helped us create our interactive notebooks, and the markers have helped with our creative projects. I like to say we're putting the art back in language arts!

  The whiteboard markers have also been so nice to have because they match the student highlighter colors, so I've been able to model assignments on the board for the students. Thank you again for your generosity”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Baird

  This classroom project was brought to life by Kleenex and 7 other donors.

• Basic Supplies for a Spectacular Year

  Funded Jul 13, 2022

  Thank you so much for helping me provide my students with basic classroom materials.

  Thanks to you, every student has a pencil and highlighter to help them as we practice our close-reading skills. Students also have pencil pouches to help them keep track of these materials so they aren't constantly asking to borrow from a neighbor or a teacher. These materials have been a blessing this year as I've worked to transition my students back to paper and pencil to give their eyes and brains a break from all of the screen time.

  I know these materials will continue to help my students throughout the year as we develop our skills in reading and writing.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Baird

  This classroom project was brought to life by Kleenex® Brand and 3 other donors.

• Graphic Novels for Captivating Readers

  Funded Dec 3, 2021

  Thank you so much for donating to my project "Graphic Novels for Captivating Readers". These books have been flying off the shelves since they arrived in our classroom.

  Many of my students read 3 or more grade levels below their grade, and much of this is due to lack of exposure to pleasurable reading experiences. Your donation has provided my students with books they can enjoy and lose themselves in. It is almost guaranteed that once a graphic novel is returned to our shelves, it will be gone to a new student before the end of the day. Having books that kids can enjoy during our 10 minutes of reading each day ensures that kids are getting practice with reading.

  Thanks to your donation, my students are improving their reading skills each and every day, and it shows on their test scores! Thank you for your generosity.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Baird

• Nonfiction Texts for Middle School Readers

  Funded Nov 10, 2021

  Thank you so much for donating to my project "Nonfiction Texts for Middle School Readers." Many students who struggle to enjoy reading fictional texts find great enjoyment in nonfiction, and my classroom library was severely lacking in nonfiction options.

  My classroom library serves 166 seventh grade students, many of whom do not remember the last time they read a book on their own. By diversifying the selection of texts in our library, the chances of students finding something they enjoy increases. Offering student the chance to learn something new or deepen their understanding of something they are interested in gives students a better chance at developing a love for reading.

  Thank you for increasing the text selection in my class library. My students are so excited to dig in to the new texts!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Baird

  This classroom project was brought to life by #TeachHealthy with Nature Made.

• Diverse Books for Diverse Learners

  Funded Nov 10, 2021

  Thank you so much for donating to my project "Diverse Books for Diverse Learners." These books featuring protagonists of color will act as a mirror for students who don't normally see themselves in the books they read or media they consume.

  My classroom library serves 166 seventh grade students, many of whom do not remember the last time they read a book on their own. By diversifying the selection of texts in our library, the chances of students finding something they identify with increases. These books directly impact the students they were written for.

  Thank you for increasing the text selection in my class library. My students are so excited to dig in to the new texts!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Baird

  This classroom project was brought to life by #TeachHealthy with Nature Made.

• High-Interest Books for Struggling Readers

  Funded Aug 12, 2021

  Thank you so much for donating to my project "High-Interest Books for Struggling Readers." This project helped to build my classroom library and move me closer to my goal of finding a book that every reader will love.

  My school is too small for a library, so my classroom library has become The Library for our seventh graders. Our students not only have different interests and tastes when it comes to what they read, but most of my scholars are also three or more grade levels below where we hope they would be. Engaging them with choice reading books has helped them to practice the skills we are working on in class and increase their reading skills.

  My students are so grateful to have a variety of books that fit their interests and levels. Thank you for helping me to expand my classroom library.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Baird

  This classroom project was brought to life by Bill Gates and 9 other donors.

• Bringing Art Back Into Language Arts

  Funded Jul 20, 2021

  Thank you so much for donating to my project "Bringing Art Back into Language Arts." The materials from this project have helped me create some joy for my scholars as we returned to an in-person learning environment.

  Sometimes school is so rigorous and academics-focused that students don't have a chance to express themselves creatively. This year already we have done a few projects that are rooted in academics but also allow the students to draw, color, and design products to showcase their learning. This has brought smiles and joy to my scholars as they get a chance to flex their creative muscles in the classroom.

  These projects have also added to the community feel in my classroom because students have created work to hang on the walls and decorate our learning space. Thank you for helping me bring joy to my scholars this year.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Baird

• Laminating for Success

  Funded Jul 18, 2021

  Thank you so much for your contributions to my project, "Laminating for Success." You have helped me provide a welcoming and comfortable environment for my scholars this year as we returned to fully in-person learning.

  When students walk by my classroom, they stop and stare. The decorations that I was able to create and laminate with donations from this project have helped me to create an environment that students want to be in. The educational and motivational posters help my students to remember that the content is important but so are they!

  Not many of the students in this Los Angeles community have been in classrooms that are joyful to be part of. Thank you for helping me create this space for my scholars so they can be excited and happy to be back with me in-person!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Baird

• Dystopian Study for a Utopian Future

  Funded Nov 23, 2018

  The books that you have provided have done wonders for our classroom. Each title explores a dystopian society--a society where in solving all of life's problems, new problems have been created. These books allow my students to further explore how difficult it can be to make big problems go away, and help them to escape to worlds that, while resembling their own, have large differences.

  These particular titles are being studied in book clubs. Students are determining, in groups, how much to read and what to discuss during each meeting. As the teacher, I get to be the facilitator and really see how their minds are processing these new worlds. It's amazing to sit in on student-led discussions and hear how much they are picking up on within the novel. It's also a great chance for students to see how reading can work in the "real world" since they get to be in charge of pacing.

  Many of my students have particularly enjoyed these titles because they haven't heard of them before. Because most of the books have female authors and protagonists, it's fun to see the girls relate and the boys develop some empathy. They've really enjoyed exploring these new worlds.

  Thank you so much for helping my students!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Baird

  This classroom project was brought to life by New Teacher Fund and 6 other donors.