Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 57

Students spend a lot of time in ELA, as we bounce between grammar, reading novels, writing essays, and having discussions based on all walks of life through our texts. I hope my classroom feels like a comfortable place for them, but I’m sure some days feel long to them being in here for nearly 90 minutes straight.  Being able to add excitement to their daily routine has immensely impacted them throughout this year. 

 Some days the students were ignited with a spark of creativity when they noticed different styles of seating arranged for them all around the classroom.  Other students strived to work harder than normal because they wanted to be recognized and rewarded with a wobbly stool and a clipboard, or even an opportunity to sit outside on a floor cushion in the grass and have the sun shining on them. Students who didn’t normally feel like they could keep on task found that bouncing on a yoga ball chair kept them engaged.  During our novel studies, some students became more engulfed in a book simply because they could lounge out on a bean bag chair and truly be comfortable while soaking in the character’s journey.  Changing and transforming the mundane walls of the classroom gave my students from each classroom a different environment, and made the time pass just a bit quicker, and I think they even spent less time watching the clock, too.

            This classroom grant allowed me to get through to every student, no matter the obstacles.  Standing desks, wobble stools, outside cushions, and beanbags were all purchased with the students in mind because these students need flexibility, and so do I when I’m trying to teach them.

            We read two novels in the classroom. The first was, “Tangerine” by Edward Bloor and the final one was, “A Long Walk to Water.” As students displayed interest in the book, they were selected to read with a friend on one of the flexible seats of their choosing.  Allowing the students to sprawl out across a bean bag allowed them to truly escape in the adventure of the novel and forget that they were within the walls of the classroom. We focused on the standard of, “How does the setting impact the character’s development throughout the text,” and what better way to really unpack that standard than by letting them change their scenery for a bit? 

            After finishing the novel, “A Long Walk to Water,” some students were taken outside and allowed to collaborate with partners to do, “Reflection Questions” based on how they could reflect on the character’s conflicts and how we can impact change.  The story’s main characters both were raised in South Sudan during the war, and heavily affected because of the environment of Sudan both by war and lack of clean water.  Students enjoyed the change of scenery and focused less on what task they were doing, and more on collaborating and having engaging conversations and reflections.

            As a first-year teacher, this grant allowed me the opportunity to create a flexible learning environment that kept my students engaged and excited to enter my classroom.  It also allowed me the chance to understand the unique potential each student has in my ELA class.  I learned that learning and teaching both need to be flexible, and this grant allowed me the possibility to discover that this year.

            Thank you for the contribution to my classroom, and the support given as a result of these funds. It’s a wonderful opportunity to be able to provide unique experiences to my students and it means the world to me to know that there are people out there that support the students, teachers, and the entire classroom experience!