V is for Vintage

Today's office hours with my students started with a little show and tell. (Thanks to my friend Tracey for the idea.) Of course, I was scrambling ten minutes before the meeting looking for something to share. I have a piece of the Canadian Shield that I got years ago on an educational trip through Canada. I know it's something that my sixth graders learned about this year so I thought for a minute a few students may find it interesting. But really, probably not- so I reconsidered.

The top shelf of the bookcase in my living room holds one of my most prized possessions- a small red dress that my grandmother sewed for me when I was just a baby. My grandmother, who's been dead for over 18 years, is very special to me. Just about any great childhood memory includes her- including the way she always called me Buttons.

Once my students shared their possessions- a turtle, a 4-year-old helium balloon that continues to stay inflated, a stuffed animal, and a tour of a newly built in-bedroom home gym- I shared my little red dress.

"My grandmother who worked in a sewing factory, made this dress for me when I was just a baby," I said as I held the dress up to my laptop camera. I then showed the embroidery that reads, "Button, Button- who's got the button?"

"She always called me that," I continued, "because she thought I was as cute as a button."

Aaaawwws were heard from the small group-certainly because what's cuter than a little girl's dress and maybe, just a little, because they pictured what their teacher looked like 57 years ago.














Life Lesson: Connections bring us all together.