I have a fabulous group of students this year. We live in sunny California and love to go outside and play. My class is a special education class and all of my guys have a range of disabilities. They are a super sweet and silly bunch of kids who love to play and move. This year, they are especially interested in Nintendo characters. One of our favorite movement breaks involves pretending to run like Yoshi, jump like Mario, or taking out our invisible steering wheels and racing in Mario kart. We also LOVE playing “zombie” together at recess.
My Project
Hi there! Thank you so much for considering my class! I teach students in grade TK-kindergarten-first, which means I get to be one of the first teachers in their academic career. I get to be part of the team that shows them school is a safe and fun place to be.
My students usually come to me with big emotions and big sensory regulation challenges.
This means we get a lot of meltdowns and tantrums in our class. Our students are often in the beginning stages of learning coping skills and building trusting relationships with the teaching team.
Seeing my students struggle to regulate is one of the hardest parts of my job. I love them all and I hate to see them in a state of disregulation. Although we embed a lot of coping skills practice and mindfulness into our school day, sometimes my students need a bit more help to calm down and get back to learning.
Providing weighted objects to hold is an amazingly effective evidence-based strategy for helping children regulate. I am asking for a weighted blanket so my students can snuggle up with a tool that evenly provides weight to calm them. I am also asking for a weighted bear they could wear out to recess as needed. The bear looks much more approachable than our weighted or pressure vests and I think our students would be more comfortable wearing it.
Finally, I am asking for some sturdy fidget objects. My students use these tools to inconspicuously get their energy out while they work. Because my students have tons of energy they break ALL THE TIME. These ones are sure to last a long time!
Thank you again for considering my students!
When they’re calm and focused, there’s no goal they can’t conquer!
More than half 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. Garnett and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
