Ms. Heinlein's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 74

• Energetic Pre-Teens Need Flexible Seating!

  Funded Jan 21, 2020

  Thank you so much for your support for my students! when the wobble stools arrived, they were so excited! They love wobbling on them and getting their wiggles out. I'm not sure if you've been around pre-teen/teenagers recently, but they have a lot of energy! And sometimes the key to getting them to focus is to give them something to do. The wobble stools are perfect for that!

  The table is also awesome. It's very heavy and sturdy and helps facilitate conversation. My class is for learning English, so students need to look at each other and converse. I'm so happy to have this table.

  Thank you for your support!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Heinlein

  This classroom project was brought to life by Mountain West Conference and 10 other donors.

• Speaking and Listening at Home

  Funded Jul 31, 2020

  Thank you so much for your donations to my classroom! With these headsets, my students are able to better concentrate on their distance learning while at home because they are not as distracted by their sibling's computer sounds. They are also better able to participate in class because of the microphone. I often ask them to unmute to read aloud or answer a question. They also complete an online English learning program where they have to record their voices. These headsets are such a blessing for completing these types of activities. In January, my students will take their annual English learner exam. They usually score low on the speaking assessment because they are not used to speaking into a headset. Now, because of distance learning, my students will have much more practice and opportunity to speak in the headset and I hope it will make them more comfortable to complete this test.

  Thank you you again for helping make my classroom run smoothly and help my students feel cared for and loved!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Heinlein

  This classroom project was brought to life by Marc and Lynne Benioff and 11 other donors.

• At-Home Learning for English Learners

  Funded Jul 15, 2020

  Thank you so much for your support in providing supplies for my students! Learning at home can be difficult, but now my students will be set up with everything they need to be successful! Thanks to this project, I was able to provide so many amazing things for my students. I already had binders and composition books for them. I also had pencil pouches, pens, and scissors. Another Donorschoose project funded headphones with a microphone for them. I bought tote bags to put everything in and both my mom and mother in law helped me by sewing each student a fabric mask! The students are picking up their bags from the office today and are so excited to have new supplies just for them.

  Each bag includes:

  ▪️ Binder with loose-leaf paper, dividers, and a folder.

  ▪️ Clipboard

  ▪️ Composition book

  ▪️ Headset with a microphone

  ▪️ Pencil pouch with supplies: markers, colored pencils, scissors, glue, pens, pencils, pencil sharpener

  ▪️ A homemade fabric mask

  Thank you so much for making this project a reality. I couldn't have done it without your support!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Heinlein

  This classroom project was brought to life by Marc and Lynne Benioff and 5 other donors.

• Podcasting for English Learners

  Funded Feb 10, 2020

  Thank you so much for your support! Before schools closed down on March 13th, my students had gotten started on our "Telling Our Stories" podcasting project. We read various folktales from their cultures and created plot diagrams (a skill needed for their ELA classes). We also created Road Maps of Life and started pin pointing important parts of their lives. Students choose one event to create a plot diagram for. They also created self portraits to dive into the idea of self-identity.

  After spring break, our next steps were to write out some of the stories and start recording them with the microphone. Students would use online audio editing software to add music, sound effects, and other elements that are essential to podcasts. Unfortunately, we weren't able to do that. I am looking forward to next year and doing this project again and hopefully getting to create an actual podcast. So stay tuned! :)”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Heinlein

• Literacy Essentials for ELL Students

  Funded Aug 28, 2019

  Thank you so much for your generous donations to my new middle school English Learner classroom! I was so sad that my last principal wouldn't let me keep my DonorsChoose items, even though I was staying in the district and would be able to use most of it. Having to start over is not fun. The books, clipboards, and chart stand are basics that I use each day in my classroom and help me be a better teacher. Without you, I would likely be funding these items out of pocket, and you all know that is so hard with our low pay and high cost of living here in Hawaii. You are all my angels! Thank you for caring about me, my students, and public education. The world needs more people like you!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Heinlein

• Communication Strategies for ELLs

  Funded Apr 9, 2019

  Thank you so much for your donations! I have been teaching at my new middle school for almost a month now and we have put these materials to good use! We have used the white paper to write up songs, review vocabulary words, and even created a large pictorial to learn about the circulatory human body system!

  With the smaller paper, I have used to to write out specific procedures that the students follow at the start of class. I like that it's bigger than regular copy paper, but still doesn't take up too much room. I am looking forward to the students being able to use this paper to create posters and collaborative projects.

  I started reading the professional book, too, and am so excited to get to work collaboratively with other teachers in my new role. This book will provide me with a basis for that collaboration.

  Thank you so much for caring about my students and public education!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Heinlein

• Art-Bots for a STEAM Project

  Funded Mar 15, 2019

  Thank you so much for your generous donations to our classroom! My students had an absolute blast creating their robots out of these materials. My daughter even had fun the night before helping me create the prototype! We experimented with pool noodle length and adding craft supplies to find the perfect amount that wasn't too heavy so the motor of the battery would still make the robot color on the paper. When my students built them, I showed them how and showed them the completed prototype, but they did EVERYTHING else on their own! Even ripping/cutting the tape. Of course some students struggled through some parts, but every single child was successful and every robot colored on the paper. I am so happy I was able to provide an activity where students experienced productive and creative struggle, but persevered and succeeded in the end! And it was all thanks to you. Thank you for believing in this fun project and giving my students important lessons they will remember for years to come. I am grateful for you!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Heinlein

• Music from Around the World!

  Funded Jan 15, 2019

  Thank you so much for your generous support of my classroom! My students love using these instruments from around the world! A big portion of our curriculum focuses on ecosystems and habitats. I love that I'm able to bring in culture and music when we study these areas. While studying the Amazon Reinforced, we played the rainstick and guiro. When learning about the Sahara Desert and African Savanna, we learned about African drumming. The students love that these instruments are all played differently. Like the Japanese kokoriko just takes large movements of the hands, while the Tibetan tingsha cymbals require a very careful and gentle movement.

  Thank you for helping me keep my classroom a space of inquiry and a place to learn about the world around us. I would not be able to do these lessons without your support. Thank you for caring about America's future!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Heinlein

• Having Fun with PE!

  Funded Nov 29, 2018

  Thank you so much for your generous support! As a pubic school teacher, our schools do not receive near the amount of funding we need to provide an excellent education. Because of your kindness, I am able to do just that!

  This project was a ton of fun! My school does not have a PE teacher and leaves it up to the classroom teacher to plan and implement physical education - something that is not my specialty. Thanks to a previous DonorsChoose project, I have some balls and PE equipment, but I needed more. It is often windy outside our school, making some activities extremely hard to do. And when it's rainy season, it's so hard for us to get outside! The cones are excellent for management while outside - we need to be able to determine out of bounds or a starting line for some of the games we play. Without a gym with lines on the ground, playing games in a field can be difficult. The cones help! The kids also love the jump ropes. There are many jump rope games that students are now able to do in pairs during our PE stations. We also love the rhythm sticks! They are a great way to get some movement and also work on musical standards on days we can't get outside.

  Thank you for helping me provide valuable experiences for my students. I am so grateful!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Heinlein

  This classroom project was brought to life by Nickelodeon and National Fitness Foundation and 5 other donors.

• Integrating Science and Dance

  Funded Oct 4, 2018

  Thank you so much for your donations to my classroom! As an arts-integration school, we teach core content, like language arts, science, social studies, and math through various art types and mediums. I personally have danced for most of my life and I know that my first graders love to move their bodies in creative ways - sometimes it's hard for them to stay still! Teaching science through dance just seemed so natural!

  The students love using the scarves. They help us focus on moving our bodies while also moving the scarf. It helps the students see how you have to use smooth movements to make the scarf move gracefully. It really teaches them so much about body awareness and self control.

  Using the iPod, I was able to find music associated with the water cycles and we could dance the water cycle! The students absolutely loved it! We were able to start by moving to the beat of the drum and then work on moving to the beat of the music.

  Thank you so much for helping me bring rich experiences into my student's lives. I appreciate your kindness and generosity!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Heinlein

  This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 7 other donors.