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Opelika City Schools
Elizabeth Gibbs
Keeping Up with the Tempo: Growing Young Musicians in the Fox Run Band
The following items would lessen the financial burden for families whose children are in band: oboe, clarinet, saxophone, and bassoon reeds; flute key plugs; saxophone neck straps; replacement pads, screws, springs, and ligatures for woodwind instruments; and thumb rests and mouth bumper guards for reed instruments. I believe in making band as accessible as possible, as it enables young children to find independence, grow confidence, participate in a team activity, and build relationships with their peers. Taking a financial burden away from families, even in small amounts, allows more children to participate and grow their musicianship.
Student Created Board Games for the Science Classroom
A fun way to assess student learning is through student-made board games. Everything for the games will be student-created including the questions, game board, game pieces, and directions. Students will showcase their writing skills, creativity, and subject mastery as they share their games with their class. Students will get to play each other's games as part of their review. Materials for the project include printing/drawing items, laminating materials, game storage, dice, pawns, and card storage boxes.
I want to incorporate more books and reading incentives for our students. I love to read and though I express that love with my students, only the ones who truly pick up a book outside of my classroom understand. Reading is fundamental. Our school and public library are both amazing. I want them to feel encouraged to pick up a book outside of the school walls.
Students sit in hard plastic desks for eight hours a day. In my German class, the students play games and work in small conversation groups to interact with and learn the language. They currently turn desks or sit in the floor. I would like to equip my classroom with some other options such as a standing café style table and a bean bag or two. This would allow flexibility in the group movement as well as the opportunity for students to use the tall tables as a standing desk when they need to stretch their legs and continue to work. It would be an amazing opportunity to provide these options for greater student success.
As a dedicated educator, I am constantly seeking ways to enhance the learning experience for my 4th-grade students. One idea that I believe holds immense potential for our classroom is the implementation of flexible seating arrangements. Flexible classroom seating offers numerous benefits that can positively impact the academic and social development of our students.
With teaching 9th graders for three years now, I have come to notice that many of my students struggle to focus and learn in the traditional desks we have in the classroom. My hope for the upcoming school years is to bring in some tables and standing desks that can offer alternative seating for my students. I would also like to have a few different seating options such as yoga balls, barstools, wiggle stools, etc. I firmly believe that having seating that will accommodate students' needs to move around and wiggle will help students' learning skyrocket.
I teach third grade in an inclusion classroom in Opelika. I'd love additional funding to provide flexible seating for my students. Flexible seating is often thought of as pillows on the floor with clipboards or allowing students to find a friendly spot with lap desks, but flexible seating can also look like stools or seats at a traditional desk or table that allow students extra movement without being detrimental to their learning, or the learning of the children around them. All elementary students benefit from movement while learning, and flexible seating is a great way to encourage that within our classrooms.
I am an ESL teacher with 118 students. A reading nook would help my students as they acquire English & the power that comes with literacy. The nooks would be set up for 1:1 time with volunteers that read to & with these students. These nooks would consist of a comfy storage bench with a vinyl cushion that would easily seat two people. Under these benches are 3 cubbies with baskets that would hold needed supplies for reading & tutoring. Also, each nook would need a narrow laminate folding table for workspace. These benches would be strategically placed around the school & be used for reading and tutoring.
Through this grant, we aim to establish a dedicated three-dimensional building block center within our art room. The center will provide hands-on opportunities to explore the intersection of art, math, and science. It will feature a diverse selection of three-dimensional blocks, magnetic tiles, bricks, and other manipulatives.
Students will use the center to create sculptures, architectural designs, and mixed-media artworks while exploring concepts such as symmetry, geometry, balance, and spatial relationships through hands-on experimentation in a collaborative learning environment.
My goal is to create a space in my classroom that will provide a multi-sensory area for students. Sensory areas create a safe space for children to regulate their emotions and sensory experiences. Equipping the area with beanbags, fidgets, calming toys, headphones with soothing music offers a peaceful retreat to help children manage feelings of being overwhelmed and over-stimulated. This space can empower children with attention disorders and sensory seeking behaviors to thrive and return to their general education room more calm and regulated.
