Those $40

When I was younger I had a strange love for office supplies, mainly pens. I think by being left handed I am always trying to find that one pen that is 100% smudge free and writes effortlessly. My admiration for office supplies has not faded. There's something about the array of colors and endless possibilities that makes me all giddy. Well, one Friday night I somehow found myself meandering the office supply aisle and came across the deal of the century or so I thought. Glue sticks are constantly being used in my class thus requiring me to always badger the office for more of these pesky sticks. This one Friday night I stumbled upon packs of glue sticks that had been marked to clearance.  What does a teacher do with this lovely discovery you ask, we take the entire stock. So here I am, with an abnormal amount of glue sticks piling high in my cart. Feeling quite proud of myself I head to the check out and dish out $40 on glue alone. I go home pleased with my new glue supply only to wake up Saturday morning shaking my head when I realize I actually spent $40 on glue. Since then I have banned myself from the office supply section especially after a long day at school.

This being said, another Donors Choose project is up and waiting to be funded. Just in case anyone is feeling generous.
Notebooks, Get Your Notebooks

The slump

I hit the dog days of summer these last couple of months in terms of Donors Choose.

What I mean by this is there was very little action on my two projects. In fact I believe my bookshelf project ended today without a dime donated. Summer time has always been hard to solicit donations towards projects, but it's better to try than do nothing at all. 

I currently have a project for an I-pad mini which has received $6 thus far and has less than 25 days left. Thankfully, this past week a box from a donation completed last year was delivered to my school. So even though this summer has been slow as far as donations to my projects this box renewed my perseverance in creating new projects. It's better to have a project up on Donors Choose than to not have one up at all...because you never know who is out there that is looking for a classroom to support.

If you would like to donate to my I-pad mini project there is an icon on the right side bar, the blue desk, that will take you to my project page. 

Donors choose update

Since school has began I have received three lovely boxes full of resources for my classroom. Two of the three boxes were class sets of books (Flipped and Dolphin Tale) and one set of biographies to be used with a research project at the end of the year. 

I still have three projects that are live and waiting to be fully funded.

Barnes and Noble Nook color 

Civics/history resources to be used for research 

A revolving book stand

I highly doubt that the Nook project will be funded. Although the local Barnes and Noble reached out and asked how they could help...I thought this was very nice of them! I would much rather have the revolving book stand funded since I have boxes of books in cabinets that have no home. If the civics project does not get funded I will just re-open another once it expires. 

Donors Choose has been a life saver as far as bringing materials into my classroom. I am so great full that there are generous people out there willing to help teachers in their classroom. If you are a teacher create a project TODAY! Donors Choose makes the process very simple and will walk you through all the steps...you will not regret it!

Helpful tips for Donors Choose

I don't know about you, but I would like to be wise with my money in regards to the classroom. I want to dump bushels of dollars in my classroom to make it the very best and thankfully Donors Choose helps me do so!

{Click the picture to go to Donors Choose}

Donors Choose is a non-profit organization that connects public school teachers with people who want to fund classroom learning.

Through Donors Choose I have had six projects funded, including the most recent one yesterday! The donors can be anyone that are interested in the project you created. They can give as little as $10 or fund your project completely.

Tips for creating a successful project on Donors Choose

Specific- Do not ask for the moon and back. Create small projects that have a theme: vocabulary, biographies or book shelves. If you want to build a classroom library start with one genre at a time.

Simplicity- When writing your projects details write the bare minimum. Answer the question the best way possible and make it appeal to anyone who would donate. You are motivating people to donate to your project. Sell yourself!

Amount- I have found that projects under $200 get funded faster. Your project has to be over $100 in materials. Projects of larger amounts take time to be funded.

Creative- Create a title for your project that will grab donors attention!

Pictures- Donors Choose has you select a picture for your donor page. Bright, colorful, fun and smiles never hurt!

Communication- Your donors will want to hear from you once they donate. Thank them as soon as possible!

Gratitude- Once your project is funded you will have students create thank you notes! This is how you keep donors interested in your future projects!

If you would like a look at my past and present projects for an example here is a link:

{Ms. Hall's projects}

OR
Here is a project that needs funding and time is running out!
{Ms. Hassel's project}

Dolphin Tale

A while ago my mom and I visited Winter the dolphin from Dolphin Tale in Clearwater, Florida.
{bonus teachers get in for FREE}

{Facts about Winter}

Lives at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium

Rescued from crab traps in 2005

lost her entire tail and two vertebrates due to this incident

She was not a year old when this happened

Despite the odds learned how to swim like a fish swaying back and forth

A prosthetic liner was created just for her called WintersGel

She does not wear the prosthetic all the time

A book and a movie was made about her remarkable life

I think the tale of Winter is inspirational and very fitting for students to relate to. I was so inspired by her story that I wanted to bring Dolphin Tale the book into the classroom for my students to read as a whole. So what do I do create a Donors Choose project for this book!
{Great news half way funded}

Another project funded

My Fifth project has been funded!

My students will be receiving and reading Flipped come this fall.

I have been wanting to read an actual novel with my students instead of literature stories in our literature book.

Now do not get me wrong the literature stories are great, but I am getting a little tired of them and would like to try something new. Plus my students will also be able to watch Flipped the movie after they read the book and make connections between media and text.

In celebration of my project being funded I created my 6th project on to Donors Choose for Nooks!
If you would like to donate or take a look click on the Nook

I strongly encourage any teacher to post a project through

Donors Choose

First off its FREE!

Second you bring in resources into your classroom without any out of pocket cost!

It's a win win situation!

With all five of my projects I have brought in

1,345

of resources into my classroom

Not too shabby

Three Books One Class

Project number five is up and running on Donors Choose

For this project I am asking for three class sets of books

//15 of each book\\

8th grade: Flipped by Windy Van Draanen

7th grade: Mr. Poppers Penguins By Richard and Florence Atwater

6th grade: Diary of A Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

With these class sets I am going to have each grade level break up into literature circles to read their new novels.

My project is up for double funding through Townsend Press.

If you would like to donate visit

My Donors Choose Page

Thank you for your support

The power of DONORS CHOOSE

Third thank you package went out in early June. Fourth project fully funded yesterday! Total amount for all four projects

$1,177

The resources that Donors Choose has brought into my classroom has made an immense difference in my students reading and writing. I am so grateful for all the wonderful donors that have selflessly contributed to my student's learning!

Teachers I encourage you to make your own project on Donors Choose. Creating a project takes less than two hours and will forever impact your students! Those that are not teachers should visit Donors Choose to help fund a project, you can give as little as $15 dollars!

High Fives

Well today was the day. 4th, 8th and 10th graders took the FL writes. I usually dread tests, but today was different. I was excited to watch my students demonstrate all that they have learned this year and thankfully I was not disappointed in what I saw.

My student and I were relieved when we read the prompt which was similar to an essay they wrote over Christmas break. They may have groaned over homework during break, but I only heard sounds of joy when they realized the similarities between the two prompts! //there is a method to my madness\\ I had barely handed out all the material and said my speech before students were biting at the bit to start writing. In August they would have never been this eager to start writing, but they truly have grown as writers. I was literally told to stop talking! Watching them write was pure JOY as I saw them plan, pre-write and write their essays. If it was up to me they all deserve a passing grade for the growth and improvement they have made as writers!

CHERRY ON TOP

Since my 8th graders missed their lunch window a couple of them gathered at a side lunch table to eat together. After I turned in my box of supplies I headed over to their table to see what they were chattering about. As I approached them they began to high five one another for a job well done!

Hearts of Thanks

 Last package of thank you notes are being shipped to Donors Choose tomorrow. Students wrote thank you notes in little heart note books for each of our wonderful donors.

For those of you who are unaware as to who and what Donor Choose is...

Who and What: Public school teachers post a project for learning supplies that will enhance students learning and growth in the classroom. Donors, YOU, go on Donors Choose website browse all the different projects and then you have the opportunity to give any amount of money you want towards that project. Once a teachers project is funded Donors Choose will go ahead and purchase and ship the supplies to the teachers classroom. Then the donor will receive pictures and letters of learning in action because of your donation!!

Here is another project from my school that needs your support!

Radical Readers

Index cards of gratitude

Before break students wrote thank you notes to our donors that funded our project on Donors Choose. I challenged the students to use their knowledge on poetry to compose their thank you notes.

Here are some of their thank you notes:

Limerick-
There once was a donation
That surprised the nation
Who helped kids gain knowledge
To go to college
So we threw a big celebration

Acrostic-
Thanks
Helping us learn
Appreciate
Never give up
Knowledge

You are wonderful
Outstanding
Uniting to help us learn

Haiku-
Students work so hard
Donors help us at school today
Thank you for your help

Donors Choose

At the beginning of July I posted two projects for my classroom. Both projects are focused around improving students vocabulary and writing skills. Prior to both of my projects being completed I showed all of my students what was happening on Donors Choose in regards to the projects being funded. I wanted them to know that people who do not even know them want to help them learn.

Project "Lets Give Them Something To Write About" ($182) was completed on November 1st and the supplies began to trickle in a week later. Donors Choose request that students bring in permission slips in order for pictures and thank you notes to be posted on their website.

The Friday before Thanksgiving break I gathered the students that returned their slip and they opened the box and began using the materials right away!

Project "Lets Go On A Vocabulary Adventure" ($578) was completed on November 30th. As of right now the boxes are stacked in my classroom. I plan on having the students open the boxes on Thursday!

 My students are still amazed that complete strangers keep on sending them learning tools. One of my students said "these people must really like us"

If you are a teacher I encourage you to create your own project on Donors Choose. For more information go to http://www.donorschoose.org/teachers

If you want to follow my classroom on Donors Choose follow this link:  http://www.donorschoose.org/ms.hall Over Christmas break I will be posting another project entirely on index cards!

VOCAB-u-lous

Donors Choose helps create 'partnerships' between teachers and people willing to give as little as $5 to help fund school projects. Teachers submit project requests to which visitors to the Donors Choose website can donate all, or a portion of the request. Once a project reaches its goal, the materials are delivered to the school. It's as easy as that. You can support as many projects as you like and you can even focus on locations that are close to you and/or projects in areas (such as language arts) that inspire you.

According to their impact page, Donors Choose has raised $38,736,888 to fund classroom projects throughout the country. Just image the impact your dollars could have!

I have recently posted a project on Donors Choose that will help middle school students master vocabulary words! If you would like to donate visit:

http://www.donorschoose.org/ms.hall

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!