Third Grade Craft Day

There is always oneteacher from your youth that sticks out in your mind.  One person who went that extra mile and notonly taught…but touched.  This teacherfor me was Mrs. Allen.  Gray hair and apointy chin, Mrs. Allen was loved the moment she was met.

She taught useverything we needed to know educationally… and then she showed us how to doall sorts of fun crafts; Christmas craftsto Easter crafts to just-for-fun crafts. We made things from popsicle sticks, glitter, glue and crayons.  We learned that we could invent at 9 yearsold!  The sky was the limit, and everyday held another adventure.  I rememberone such craft that I still have in my possession over 20 years later.

The morning wasparticularly cold, even for northern Utah.  The snow was high and Christmas was on itsway!  My mom had sent me to school thatday with a miniature sized picture of myself. A freckled little girl, I had never thought myself as beautiful.  As I held that picture though, I remember thefeeling of pride at how well my school pictures had turned out that year.  I was anxious to take it to school forwhatever project we were attacking next.

After completing ourdaily work, Mrs. Allen handed us a white foam ball the size of a softball.  She then asked us our favorite Christmascolors.  Mine were most definitely redand silver that year.  Two neat littlebaggies of red and silver sequins were then placed on my desk.  At that age, anything that shined captured myattention fully!  Mrs. Allen then told uswe would be making a Christmas ornament that would take several days tocomplete.

Each day I would cometo school, so eager to continue working on my craft.  Using little silver pins, I remembercarefully sticking each sequin into my foam ball.  I had come up with a terrific idea for apattern and couldn’t wait to see it completed. When I came to the middle of the ball, Mrs. Allen gently helped me pinmy miniature school picture onto the front. After that final sequin was put in place, we wrapped them in tissuepaper to present to our parents.  Therewas never a prouder little girl than I, that day.

Mrs. Allen lovedcrating with kids and the kids loved Mrs. Allen because of it.  My ornament, roughed up with time still holdsmy little school picture neatly pinned on the front.  I don’t remember much of what was taught thatyear, but I do remember Mrs. Allen teaching us to make crafts.  Her passion for art and using imaginationrubbed off on a young girl and has stuck with her through the years.