I am Julie Gowins and I am currently a 3rd grade teacher at a charter school in San Antonio, TX. I love teaching third grade and love the age group of students that I teach. Teaching can be very rewarding, but at the same time very challenging. The biggest challenge is trying to reach every student when they all come in at different reading levels. I do teach in a Title I school which explains some of the lag in their reading skills. However, when I started investigating the reasons behind their deficit, I found that most of the students DO NOT HAVE ANY BOOKS AT HOME TO READ! I found this to be crucial in why they are falling behind. If they don't have books at home, then the importance of reading hasn't been instilled in them. We need reading for everything we do in life! For these many reasons, I am asking for your help to raise funds for books for my classroom that I could create a library for them to borrow and return. They need to find a "heart for reading" in order to propel their academic futures! I am teaching future lawyers, doctors, teachers, scientists, and engineers of the world. Where would those professionals be if they couldn't read? Thank you for your concern and time, Julie Gowins