Danny, Rachael and I are so thrilled to tell you that through your generosity, Parcel #1 has already generated over $1,200 for DonorsChoose.org. That's HUGE! We can't thank you enough. Pat yourselves on the back!
Today I've invited an old school friend of Danny's, Natasha, to share with us her experiences as a teacher using DonorsChoose.org. Natasha has been teaching for 10 years. She teaches early childhood special education (3 to 5 years old) in Southern California.
Why did you first use Donor's Choose?
I heard about Donorschoose.org from a fellow teacher. Our schools are in really bad shape financially. We only get about $150 to pay for EVERYTHING the whole year. My students are too young to have text books, so all learning must be done with toys, manipulatives, and creative play furniture. Everything I had was used or damaged, and I didn't have many of the supplies and basic necessities needed to work with young students. My colleague had success with Donorschoose.org, so I decided to try it too.
What was the first classroom project you funded with Donor's Choose?
The first project I had funded was a sand table, a sensory table, and sensory toys from Lakeshore Learning. We didn't have any sensory materials at the time and children with Autism REALLY need to practice with all sorts of tactile media.
What was the out come of that project with Donor's Choose? Were you fully funded?
I was fully funded thanks to generous donors and organizations. Due to getting that project funded, I was able to submit requests for additional projects.
How did your classroom benefit from the Donor's Choose project?
I was able to create a sensory area that could change and evolve with the different classroom themes(Ex:use beans and seeds in the tables during our gardening unit, wet sand to make tracks with tires and cars during our transportation unit, make goop/snow/foam centers to practice touching wet/sticky textures). All these different activities helped desensitize the students I have with severe sensory issues and provided a fun place to go for everyone else.
Have you funded other projects with Donor's Choose? Do you have a current project waiting to be funded?
My classroom has and continues to benefit from not only the first project I had funded, but from all the projects I've been able to fund over the past 6 years. We now have a sensory center, science materials, books, a listening center, art supplies, math and language activities, and so much more thanks to this wonderful organization.I almost always have a project up on the website. I currently have a project to get phonics materials that involve all of the senses to aid in learning. I cannot be more clear that I would have NONE of these items without this organization. I simply do not know what I would have done if I didn't have opportunities to ask for assistance from wonderfully generous people looking to help those in need. It has changed the lives of so many students, and has made me an inspired, energetic, and motivated teacher.
I can't thank you enough, Natasha, for sharing your experiences with us!
**All these photos are of some of the things Natasha has funded through Donorschoose.org: Cube chairs, rug, books,dramatic play furniture, fine motor toys, listening center materials, ipod & player,bean bag chairs, and a classroom camera!
Want to contribute to Natasha's classroom? Here is her current classroom project.
Want to buy Parcel #1, get 5 fabulous sewing patterns by indie designers and contribute a portion of your sale to DonorsChoose.org? Click here!
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Happy happy Friday, people! Let's dance! You rock!
