About
twenty-five years ago or so, I found an old jar that had a green metal twist on
lid. The jar was big and made of glass.
Wondering what to do with it in my house, I decided to fill it with old buttons
that had been in boxes and had belonged to my grandmother. It looked pretty and
gazing into it, I saw glittery and unique antique buttons. Amazing sight.
To
me, it was like looking into a snow globe only no snow did I see but ornate
buttons of every shape and color.
And
that’s when the idea hit me to take it to my classroom at Robins Elementary: It was a thing of wonder and I had to share
it with my second grade students. Were
they amazed? Of course they were and would stare at it like I did. This went on for several years in my
classroom until I had an idea: Why not let each child choose a button and glue
it to drawing paper? Not only would they have to do that but then decide and
draw what object of clothing that they thought it came from.
The
results were astounding. Students drew
and colored coats, shirts, dresses, capes and other articles of clothing and
right there on that paper was the chosen button. What they did amazed me and amazed them as
well. Those special papers were put up
on the bulletin board for a month or so and then I let the students take them
home to keep.
Year
after year, this art experience happened in my classroom and year after year,
hardly a single student never forgot the pungent smell that came out of that
button jar. I could try to describe that smell in that it reeked of oldness—from
the buttons to the ancient thread and once smelled, no one ever forgot it
including me.
Finally,
the button jar was about empty except for about thirty buttons or so. It sat in
the classroom and many students saw it but no more “button art” was done for
there weren’t enough buttons to share.
One
day after school, I decided to bring home the button jar. Looking at it on my
kitchen counter, that jar stirred up so many memories of kids’ amazement, their
art and that smell. Twisted off the lid and yep, that pungent smell still lurked.
But so did the wonderful memories.
Odd
isn’t it that such a humble thing as a big jar filled with old buttons could
produce such happiness? I am so glad that the decision had been made to take it
to school in the first place. And even more glad that my now grown-up former
students remember it still. And as for
me, I look at it and see wonder. Wonder is what learning is all about but that
button jar certainly added to the magic.
Sherry
Hill
Copyright © 2014
Sherry Hill
All Rights Reserved
I have that same exact jar! I found it in my mom's basement (along with what seemed like millions of other things.) She had a big button collection too, as did my grandmother, and I got them all. Unfortunately, when we were downsizing last summer, I had to get rid of a lot of stuff and many of the buttons were sold at an estate sale. I kept a few of the good ones. I love the idea you had to use them with your students and wish mine had gone to such a good use.
ReplyDeleteCan't believe that you have the same jar! So sorry you couldn't keep all of the buttons you inherited but understand and glad you kept a few--they'll be great memories. Thanks re what I did with the buttons and my students. They still mention it to me and they're grown up now. Again, thanks for your wonderful comment and thanks for taking time to post it.
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