WIP-students' end of year gifts... with an explanation
05-16-2010, 05:45 PM
#1
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 9,688
For the past 5 years, I've written a "What's special about..." paragraph for each child. I enlarge the font and print each on special paper. Then I read each one aloud to the kids. It's nice when it's over, but boy I dread all that careful writing. So, I wanted to do something different this year. I'm still doing very special awards, so there's a lot of writing involved, but it won't be quite so difficult.
The gifts are going to be quilt squares! :-D I get too busy sometimes to quilt daily, and I miss it. I knew this would force me to make quilting a priority. :wink:
Okay--background, so you'll understand. In my class, I always talk about two main themes: make the most of each day (Example I give them: When I get to the end of my life, I'd rather say I made 75 quilts and gave many away, rather than say I watched every eopisode of a TV series.) and the life is cake idea. That's the story about our lives being a recipe for cake--and if everything was sweet--the cake wouldn't turn out right, but when the yucky stuff like eggs, salt, and baking soda are added, the cake it perfect. This symbolizes our lives--bad things happen, but the cake will just be amazing once everything balances out. My students will say they had a salt moment, or they had a taste of raw eggs when hard things happen.
Black and White Splash quilts, to me, illustrate this idea. The b+w fabrics symbolize everything we have to do: comb our hair, do the dishes, complete homework, go to bed. The splashes of color represent all the little joys in life, for me: kissing a horse's muzzle, planting a garden, reading a great book, the smell of hay... So, each student is getting a black and white splash square. We'll talk awhile about it when I pass them out in late June. I'l be making a small hanging of eight squares to hang in the classrom for next year.
With all these plans, I knew I needed to get started, so all the blocks have three black on white sides. Next will be adding the fourth with color at each end.
I took pics for a friend, so thought I'd share the project.
The gifts are going to be quilt squares! :-D I get too busy sometimes to quilt daily, and I miss it. I knew this would force me to make quilting a priority. :wink:
Okay--background, so you'll understand. In my class, I always talk about two main themes: make the most of each day (Example I give them: When I get to the end of my life, I'd rather say I made 75 quilts and gave many away, rather than say I watched every eopisode of a TV series.) and the life is cake idea. That's the story about our lives being a recipe for cake--and if everything was sweet--the cake wouldn't turn out right, but when the yucky stuff like eggs, salt, and baking soda are added, the cake it perfect. This symbolizes our lives--bad things happen, but the cake will just be amazing once everything balances out. My students will say they had a salt moment, or they had a taste of raw eggs when hard things happen.
Black and White Splash quilts, to me, illustrate this idea. The b+w fabrics symbolize everything we have to do: comb our hair, do the dishes, complete homework, go to bed. The splashes of color represent all the little joys in life, for me: kissing a horse's muzzle, planting a garden, reading a great book, the smell of hay... So, each student is getting a black and white splash square. We'll talk awhile about it when I pass them out in late June. I'l be making a small hanging of eight squares to hang in the classrom for next year.
With all these plans, I knew I needed to get started, so all the blocks have three black on white sides. Next will be adding the fourth with color at each end.
I took pics for a friend, so thought I'd share the project.
The square.
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Centers
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Cutting pieces apart--these are all done and on the blocks!
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Lots of colors!
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I'll pick just 5-6 of these for the outside pieces. Need to cut pieces this week!
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05-16-2010, 06:34 PM
#7
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Camarillo, California
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Karla, you have such wonderful ideas for your classroom and students!! I would have loved to have you for a teacher for my children!!!
I think those would be wonderful and a great remembrance of the wonderful school year they had with you!!!
I think those would be wonderful and a great remembrance of the wonderful school year they had with you!!!
05-16-2010, 06:40 PM
#8
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Northern Indiana
Posts: 20,306
What a wonderful way to explain life to kids :lol: And then they will have the quilt squares to remind them forever . I wish my sons had , had a teacher like you when they were in school. Sadly Teachers like you are so rare these days. Bless you for talking a job that is usually under appreciated.
05-16-2010, 06:46 PM
#9
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Rural Small Town Ontario
Posts: 1,474
Karla, what a wonderful lesson you're giving your students! I had not heard the comparison of life to a cake before - that is beautiful.
Thank you for being an awesome teacher, making a difference! The blocks are beautiful.
Thank you for being an awesome teacher, making a difference! The blocks are beautiful.
05-16-2010, 06:55 PM
#10
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Parsons, Ks
Posts: 1,536
You are so sweet! What a wonderful thing to do for the children! It is something that they will remember for the rest of their lives and they will have a keepsake to remember you by! They are going to love it I'm sure!!!
We definitely need alot more caring teachers like you!
We definitely need alot more caring teachers like you!
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