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WINSLOW — Students in Samantha Monroe’s seventh grade language arts classes at Winslow Junior High School are exploring new ways to work in class.
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Last summer Monroe reached out to Donors Choose, an online fundraising organization dedicated to supplying educators with things that they need in their classrooms. “DonorChoose.org is a site that teachers can use to get money for things that they need,” said Monroe. “Not just supplies, but things like field trips too. The site allows teachers like me to submit an order of what they need and then they fill it if enough funds come in.”
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Donors can be worldwide, as the process is done completely online. “We had a few local donors, and one very generous couple from New York that donated quite a bit of money. They did so in honor of Indigenous People’s Day because we serve a large number of Native American students.”
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The organization works with vendors and manufacturers to fill orders with no additional searching required by the teachers. “Once you put the request up and it is approved by Donors Choose they are the ones that go out and find the bids for the supplies. It really makes things easier from my end,” added Monroe.
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Monroe’s request was for standing desks to be used by her students. “I submitted my request and then a few months later I got an email from Donors Choose telling me that my order had been filled. Originally, I had wanted to buy different desks than what I got. But, when the funds came in, that desk was out of stock. It actually worked out in our favor because we were able to purchase a few different alternatives instead of exclusively the desks.”
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Those alternatives include the standing desks, floor desks, and what are called “Busy Bands.” Those are a large rubber band that fits across the front legs of the desk and allow students to stretch and bounce them while working. “The Busy Bands have been the most helpful in my classroom. The kids that have issues with fidgeting are able to expend some of that built up energy and focus more on their work.”
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Junior high school students do not have the opportunity throughout their day for physical activity in the same way elementary aged students do. “They don’t have recess anymore. Some of them have physical education classes, sure, but that isn’t much. Kids need to move. These devices have helped,” stated Monroe.
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Seventh grade student Alyssa Harmon added, “I like the Busy Bands best because they help me focus on my work and keep me occupied. I also like the floor desk because it keeps me from getting bored with sitting in the same place every day. The standing desks I like because they help me not get stiff bent over my regular desk.”
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Monroe has not had the seating options in her class long enough to have solid data on whether grades have improved since their installation. “I can’t say if grades have improved so to speak. I can say that they are more productive in the classroom and productivity inherently leads to improved performance. Some of my students were not getting their work started in class, then they weren’t taking it home, and they weren’t turning it in. I can say that that has improved.”
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According to Monroe, “Students learn as individuals. It is important that we work to teach them as such. Things like offering alternative seating may make a huge difference in some kids life.”
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Another improvement Monroe pointed out is the enthusiasm with which her students approach each day. “They have six or seven other teachers and classes during the day, and that can be overwhelming for some students. When they come in here they are at least excited to be here because they have an option as to how they will work best.”
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Monroe has already submitted another fundraiser to Donors Choose to get even more options in to her classroom. “I am asking for funds to get more Busy Bands, hopefully to get one for each desk. The students really seem to like them. Right now, I have to rotate students on a weekly basis so that no one student gets a device more than the others. That, I would say, is the biggest problem with these, I don’t yet have enough for everyone.”
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Donors Choose requires recipients of crowdsourced funds to submit pictures of their classrooms and explain how the supplies are being used. Monroe explained, “We also had to write letters to the larger donors, which I used as a lesson in letter writing. We also went further and made thank you cards for the smaller, local donors. I think it is important for the students to learn how to show gratitude. It is also important for them to see that despite everything that is going on in the world, there is still good out there.”
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Monroe’s fundraiser for more Busy Bands is currently on the DonorsChoose.org website. Donors may search for projects to assist by school or by zip code. “Arizona schools are so, so underfunded,” Monroe concluded, “Donors Choose allows people from all over to choose which projects they would like to contribute to and that helps educators a lot. We all pay taxes to help fund schools, but something like this makes sure our money goes exactly where we want it to.”
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