Here at Cedar Trails Elementary in Cedar Springs, MI, our teachers have been fighting all year to mobilize our early childhood community of educators. We have been banding together to brainstorm ways to ensure our students are not being negatively affected by standardized tests and strict curriculum mandates. We are a building of advocates fighting hard locally to make sure our classrooms are developmentally appropriate learning environments for our students.
I applied for this grant to build a Sensory Bin Library where teachers can check out the bins to use in their classrooms. I was awarded the funds in mid-December and the library was set up over winter break. Teachers began checking them out in January! (We have 21 classes in our building ranging from Y5 through 1st grade.)
The goal of this project is to provide open-ended, play-based experiences for students throughout the day. We have been trying to think outside of the box and create classroom environments where kids can explore and learn through their senses. This Sensory Bin Library has 10 bins that teachers can freely check out, as needed. It has been receiving a lot of action! There are normally only 2 or 3 bins on the shelf at a time because the rest are in classrooms being used! It’s such a great sight to see the empty shelves. That means there are a lot of children in this building playfully learning!
I didn’t face any hurdles when setting this up. The staff was very receptive to the idea and have been very thankful for the materials. It’s reassuring for teachers to have materials readily available and already set up. For some teachers, it’s challenging to think of what to put in a sensory bin (plus, some teachers don’t even have a sensory table in their classroom). This ensures all children are receiving equitable experiences in regards to sensory play.
