Valentine's Day in the Classroom

February 2007 - My first year of teaching, I was actually deathly ill on Valentine's Day. Like any first year teacher, I didn't have everything figured out, so I was still at the school when the students were coming in trying to put together sub plans. I had been absent the last two days which was a new thing for my 2nd graders because I had never taken sick days before. All of my students were swarming around me giving me the Valentines that they had specially made for me.

One of my dear students came up to me with the proudest look on his face and handed me a Madagascar Valentine with two lifesavers taped on to it. He handed it to me and proudly boasted. "Your Valentine has two lifesavers and everyone else in the classroom only got one!" He smiled at me beaming, handed me the Valentine, and then continued to say, "because you're bigger and you eat more." ... Uh thanks. Don't you love little children, so honest.

February 2008 - In CAshburn where I teach now, classroom parties are like competitions. Which room mom can throw together the biggest production? Seriously, no joke, for an End of the Year Party one year some mom rented one of those huge blow-up jumping things for outside and they had hired clowns or something. Class parties in Ashburn are not your run of the mill, average parties. Administration now limits classrooms to 3 parties a year because I heard it got a little out of control. Most classrooms have a Harvest Party (Halloween), a Winter Festival (Christmas), and an End of the Year Party. Many classroom sneak in some sort of "Valentine's Snack" which is just a shortened version of a party. Luckily my room moms have done a good job of not going too crazy.

In 2008, my parents did a Valentine Breakfast with heart shaped pancakes, fruit, and orange juice for my students as they came into the classroom. It was actually nice because I love breakfast and eating in general, but I am so cheap and busy that I usually don't have breakfast because convenient food is expensive food.

February 2009 - I have given my room moms (there are three that work cooperatively to plan the hubbub) an alloted time of 15-20 minutes for Valentine Snack this year. I'm hoping for something rather simple.