As a student, Jameson Ivey struggled with math. As a math teacher, she incorporates fun activities to engage her students during class.
“I could probably teach with just a textbook and a plain piece of paper but it’s not engaging.”
Ivey teaches sixth grade math to about 100 students per year at Battle Creek Middle School in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Using visual aids and hands-on activities helps her students stay attentive while learning math. To have those supplies, Ivey spends thousands of dollars.
“My friends and family are little surprised when I tell them the exact number of how much I spend per year,” she said. “They don’t have to bring glue sticks to their work; they don’t have to bring tissues to their work.”
Fortunately, Ivey learned about AdoptAClassroom.org through Facebook and uses our site to aid with her expenses.
“AdoptAClassroom.org has impacted my students in a lot of ways. They’re kind of actually excited to come into math, and algebra is a hard subject for a lot of students,” she said. “If they get to come in to play some fun games and do some hands-on activities, they are more engaged and wanting to come to class. Math may not be their favorite subject, but they enjoy being in class.”
When it comes to teaching math on a middle and high school level, Ivey said it gets tricky and more expensive to buy visual aids that will help them with their learning. In her classroom, she has iPads for students to keep portfolios, durable plastic folders to last the entire year, and a personal laminator to keep her materials for the following year. She also purchases Kleenex during cold season and uniforms for some students.
Ivey would like to add a whiteboard to her classroom since her room still has a chalkboard, which she thinks is outdated.
“If you don’t have things to make a classroom engaging then you don’t have excited learners.”
One of the biggest payoffs for Ivey was helping a student who struggled in math and had unstable living conditions at home. This student didn’t pass the math section of the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) standardize test the year prior, but after a year in Ivey’s class, the student started to enjoy math. Her student went on to pass the MCA’s math at the end of the year. “That particular student is thriving right now. I’m really excited to see her graduate. I’ve had her for two years now,” she said.
Ivey is appreciative of AAC and all of her friends and family who have supported her class by donating.
“Thank you to my friends and family on Facebook who shared all my posts trying to get my classroom donations. I’d also like to thank AdoptAClassroom.org for making it possible for teachers like myself to get some extra funds because without it I’m not sure that I’d have been able to do some of the exciting stuff that I did last year.”
To make a donation to her classroom, click here.
