Pinterest Inspiration: Student Birthdays

Confession:  I'm terrible about celebrating my students' birthdays.  I'm not sure why, because I love holidays.  Maybe it was because of the Jehova's Witness I had one year, out of sensitivity I just made myself "get over it."  Maybe it's because I was a summer birthday baby so I never experienced the whole "Bring cupcakes in for the class" thing.  So although birthdays are announced over the loudspeaker each morning (thanks to the main office) and I do lead the class in song when they bring in a treat for the class, I've never given them gifts.

Well, as teachers we strive to get a little better every year, adding new things to our repertoire, so this was the year I decided to change all that!

Thanks to Pinterest, I got inspiration for a thoughtful, cheap, and fun way to keep track of birthdays and give students a little something on their own special day.  Birthday pencil flowers!

During the first week of school, among our "ice breaker" activities, I asked each student their favorite color.  Then I made labels with "Happy Birthday" on one side, and the child's birthday on the other, and attached them to pencils.  They all go into a jar, and when we hear the announcement that it's someone's birthday, they can go get their pencil from our "Birthday Bouquet." It makes a lively classroom display that is not just nice for me, but the kids know is actually for them, eventually for keeps.

Sure enough, when the kids saw these, and realized what they were, they were all smiles.  If you like this birthday pencil topper pattern, I have it available for purchase.