Help Ms. Martin's ESL Class!
Donation protected
Friends:
After working towards my MA degree part-time for years, I am finally making my way into a real live classroom! This Fall, I begin my first year of teaching as an English as a Second Language teacher for middle schoolers.
All of my lovely students are newly-arrived immigrants and refugees. They come from Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Mexico, El Salvador, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Haiti, and more. Many of them speak no English and have to navigate the 'English-only' swamp of this state. All of them are students of color. Many of them have interrupted schooling and have limited literacy in their native languages. All of them deserve a high-quality education. My job is to give my students the academic language tools they need to access that education (while incorporating everything I've learned about social justice pedagogy).
Here's the deal:
As a socialist and education activist, I've always heard the stories: teachers spend a lot of money providing food, supplies, and basic necessities to their children. Turns out it's so true! Our schools are incredibly underfunded and my district is no different. I've spent the summer amassing a modest amount of school supplies. However, I've since learned the hard way (will I make rent this month?) that my limited income this summer is entirely insufficient to get my students what they need. In short, I'm broke and unable to get these kiddos what they need.
At this point, I'm unable to purchase for myself:
-Markers, pens, pencils, highlighters
-Dry erase markers
-Paper
-Index Cards
-Binders
-Tissues
-Hand sanitizer
-Snacks (many of these kids come to class hungry)
-Composition Notebooks
-Tape, glue sticks, staples
-Organizational Baskets
-Bilingual dictionaries
-Bilingual books for classroom library (any books for classroom library)
-Small Bookshelf
-World Map
-Speakers
-Printer/ink
-Fan (my classroom has no windows or circulation)
I know that no matter how well my classroom is stocked or how well I prepare my lessons, I alone can not mitigate the brutal forces of poverty, racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, or Islamophobia. I simply want to give my students the best shot at making it in this world. They deserve the dignity and respect of a classroom that meets their basic needs.
Any donation, big or small, will vastly inprove the quality of education I am able to provide my students. I appreciate your consideration immensely.
All the best,
Ms. Martin
a.k.a Teacher Kristen
After working towards my MA degree part-time for years, I am finally making my way into a real live classroom! This Fall, I begin my first year of teaching as an English as a Second Language teacher for middle schoolers.
All of my lovely students are newly-arrived immigrants and refugees. They come from Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Mexico, El Salvador, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Haiti, and more. Many of them speak no English and have to navigate the 'English-only' swamp of this state. All of them are students of color. Many of them have interrupted schooling and have limited literacy in their native languages. All of them deserve a high-quality education. My job is to give my students the academic language tools they need to access that education (while incorporating everything I've learned about social justice pedagogy).
Here's the deal:
As a socialist and education activist, I've always heard the stories: teachers spend a lot of money providing food, supplies, and basic necessities to their children. Turns out it's so true! Our schools are incredibly underfunded and my district is no different. I've spent the summer amassing a modest amount of school supplies. However, I've since learned the hard way (will I make rent this month?) that my limited income this summer is entirely insufficient to get my students what they need. In short, I'm broke and unable to get these kiddos what they need.
At this point, I'm unable to purchase for myself:
-Markers, pens, pencils, highlighters
-Dry erase markers
-Paper
-Index Cards
-Binders
-Tissues
-Hand sanitizer
-Snacks (many of these kids come to class hungry)
-Composition Notebooks
-Tape, glue sticks, staples
-Organizational Baskets
-Bilingual dictionaries
-Bilingual books for classroom library (any books for classroom library)
-Small Bookshelf
-World Map
-Speakers
-Printer/ink
-Fan (my classroom has no windows or circulation)
I know that no matter how well my classroom is stocked or how well I prepare my lessons, I alone can not mitigate the brutal forces of poverty, racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, or Islamophobia. I simply want to give my students the best shot at making it in this world. They deserve the dignity and respect of a classroom that meets their basic needs.
Any donation, big or small, will vastly inprove the quality of education I am able to provide my students. I appreciate your consideration immensely.
All the best,
Ms. Martin
a.k.a Teacher Kristen
Organizer
Kristen Martin
Organizer
Boston, MA
