I teach second grade in a diverse public school in Chicago. As a school in a large urban district where resources and funding are limited, my students come from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. As a result, there is already a wide range of academic abilities that present themselves in second grade causing a lot of differentiation of instruction to take place.
In order to bring my students together, I strive to cultivate a positive learning climate that is student focused using Responsive Classrooms, student choice and flexible seating.
This means that my classroom needs the resources to create a fun, friendly, and organized workshop atmosphere where learning can take place and transition time is minimized. It also needs to capture the students' attention early on and show them the joy of learning so that they become motivated to be life long learners.
My Project
In my classroom students are flexible to choose where they sit and work. This is especially important during Reader's Workshop where students may be in one spot for a lengthy amount of time as their books get longer throughout the year. When my students are comfortable they are more motivated to read and can therefore increase their reading stamina and level more easily.
By adding a rocking chair, a floor seat, floor desks, and a bean bag, my students will have more options to choose from when they are trying to get comfortable reading.
Also, as my school is very diverse, there are many different languages that are spoken in the classroom. This year, we will have several new students joining us who are English Language Learners or bilingual. As a result, I am also requesting age appropriate books in Spanish to help make sure that all my students are able to increase their reading stamina and feel comfortable reading in second grade.
More than a third of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Birnbaum and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
