Help Keep My Class Classy!!
Donation protected
Hello Family and Friends,
I am gearing up for my second year of teaching 5th grade at a public school on the South Side of Chicago! I am sure many of you have gotten an earful about some of my most charming (and challenging) students at some point this past year.
The overwhelming majority of my students reside in one of the only remaining housing projects in the city, where crime rates are through the roof and the everyday opportunities we take for granted are few and far between. The picture painted most often of my students and their neighborhood is rather bleak.
We tend to focus on the negative image of this neighborhood, on the newspaper headlines and crime statistics, instead of on the positive. Being in this area five days a week, I can see the positive and am continually inspired by the strength and resilience of my students. School can often be a safe haven for these kids, providing a place to go that is removed from the chaos at home. For every kid that curses out a teacher or gets into a fight, there is another kid staying late after school for extra help or sticking up for a friend that is being bullied. While these kinds of students are not as often talked about, these are the students I am most honored to teach.
While student achievement at our school is astoundingly low, we did make significant academic gains last year. I am more determined than ever to continue this trend and push my students' learning. But I need your help.
It's now back to school shopping time and I need to purchase everything from markers, construction paper, folders, copy paper, tissues, hand sanitizer, and disinfecting wipes to bookshelves, pillows for our cozy reading corner, and snacks for our class incentives. Things many of us took for granted growing up—like pencils, notebooks, crayons, and erasers—are big expenses for my kids. If you are so inclined to help us, no amount is too small (especially when you're shopping at the dollor store)!
Thanks for helping keep my classroom classy!
http://m.huffpost.com/ca/entry/5490243
I am gearing up for my second year of teaching 5th grade at a public school on the South Side of Chicago! I am sure many of you have gotten an earful about some of my most charming (and challenging) students at some point this past year.
The overwhelming majority of my students reside in one of the only remaining housing projects in the city, where crime rates are through the roof and the everyday opportunities we take for granted are few and far between. The picture painted most often of my students and their neighborhood is rather bleak.
We tend to focus on the negative image of this neighborhood, on the newspaper headlines and crime statistics, instead of on the positive. Being in this area five days a week, I can see the positive and am continually inspired by the strength and resilience of my students. School can often be a safe haven for these kids, providing a place to go that is removed from the chaos at home. For every kid that curses out a teacher or gets into a fight, there is another kid staying late after school for extra help or sticking up for a friend that is being bullied. While these kinds of students are not as often talked about, these are the students I am most honored to teach.
While student achievement at our school is astoundingly low, we did make significant academic gains last year. I am more determined than ever to continue this trend and push my students' learning. But I need your help.
It's now back to school shopping time and I need to purchase everything from markers, construction paper, folders, copy paper, tissues, hand sanitizer, and disinfecting wipes to bookshelves, pillows for our cozy reading corner, and snacks for our class incentives. Things many of us took for granted growing up—like pencils, notebooks, crayons, and erasers—are big expenses for my kids. If you are so inclined to help us, no amount is too small (especially when you're shopping at the dollor store)!
Thanks for helping keep my classroom classy!
http://m.huffpost.com/ca/entry/5490243
Organizer
Kelly Hatton
Organizer
Chicago, IL