Maricela Talavera is a Special Education teacher at Eliot Middle School who knew just how important it was to spruce up her new classroom as the school year began. Unlike her previous classroom, her new room was missing those personalized touches that made the space feel lived in by her students. Using her PEF Teacher Grant, Talavera purchased a wide range of thoughtful supplies for her classroom. Some of the new classroom additions included:
- New art supplies and kitchen appliances have created more tactile, hands-on learning opportunities for her students.
- Map posters, inspirational borders, and signs added pops of color to the space and made the classroom itself feel personalized to Talavera and her students.
- A new rug and cozy ottomans now form the foundation of her class’s “chill corner” — a dedicated space where students can decompress and rejoin the class when they feel emotionally ready.
- The final touch was a carefully curated library of National Geographic Kids books, with titles chosen specifically around each student’s passions. Talavera’s students are, as she happily puts it, obsessed with a wide variety of topics, from arctic animals to trains, and having this classroom library has become an exciting resource for them to learn more about what they love.
For Talavera’s students, small touches like a cozy corner or a book about their favorite animal add up to a classroom that finally feels like theirs. That sense of belonging is exactly what Talavera had in mind when she applied for her PEF Teacher Grant, and it is clear her students feel right at home.
