valentine

A Very Special Valentine

Some students in our class were feeling a little left out. I wanted to make Valentine’s Day a special day for everyone in room 203. So, I passed out a piece of paper with everyone’s names on it a few days prior. I asked the students to think about each classmate and why they are important to our class. What are their special talents that you admire? What makes them unique? The students were continually asking me what this is for. I just smiled and said, "You will see."

After collecting all the anonymous papers, I sorted though for each student’s compliments. Then, typed a Valentine that included all the good qualities that the student possesses based on the classmates perceptions. I printed each one and folded it into a small plastic candy bag to preserve. I began handing them out and observed the reactions on the students faces. Their smiles started to glow with delight. One student thought I was passing out the napkins. His mom told me a few days later that the "napkin" is the only Valentine that he brought home that day.

Anna Hallock, Valentines at Tark, 2001