A Decade in the Making: The Best Part of Me
December 16, 2017
For the last ten years, third-grade teacher Erin Panek has inspired her students to complete a project called The Best Part of Me. This project combines her love of teaching, writing and photography and allows the students to reflect on themselves to find out what they love most.
The inspiration for this activity came from The Best Part of Me: Children Talk About Their Bodies in Pictures & Words written by Wendy Ewald in 2002. As part of their Human Body Science unit, Mrs. Panek asks her students to choose their favorite body part and helps them write a descriptive piece about it. Then, she takes photos outside of the school to accompany their writing and compiles the text and photos into a class book on Shutterfly. Families are given the opportunity to purchase the photo book as a keepsake and the work is also displayed in the Grace Park hallway for students and staff to enjoy.
When asked about the project, Erin said, "I am happy to have worked on this project with over 200 students to date! My students are greatly inspired by the work of those who took part in the project in the years before them, oftentimes finding their friends, neighbors, siblings, and other family members featured on the pages of the books. It is a snapshot into the lives of these individuals during this year of their life."
Ridley is lucky to have teachers like Erin Panek who make learning fun and meaningful for the students of our schools.
My Majestic Mandible
by A. Godfrey (2017)
My mandible is like a steel bar that helps me crunch apples and other delicious snacks.
My mandible is as helpful as honeybees flying from flower to flower.
It can chew like a bear with razor sharp teeth.
It helps me play the trombone.
My mandible is important because without it I would not be able to talk to my best friends.
If I did not have my mandible I could not breathe.
My mandible helps me eat a Three Musketeer candy bar I got on Halloween.
My mandible is the best part of me!
by A. Godfrey (2017)
My mandible is like a steel bar that helps me crunch apples and other delicious snacks.
My mandible is as helpful as honeybees flying from flower to flower.
It can chew like a bear with razor sharp teeth.
It helps me play the trombone.
My mandible is important because without it I would not be able to talk to my best friends.
If I did not have my mandible I could not breathe.
My mandible helps me eat a Three Musketeer candy bar I got on Halloween.
My mandible is the best part of me!
My Handy Hands
by M. McGuire (2017) My hands fix toys in my room. They can hang from the monkey bars. I can draw neatly and I can touch slime. My hands help me do my homework. They are as strong as The Hulk. My hands are as fast as the speed of light. They are as hard as a rock. My hands are very handy, you can see, hands are important to you and me. My hands are the best part of me! |
My Excellent Ears
by L. Soper (2017) My ears are like shelves for my glasses. My ears listen. Listening is helpful because I can hear Taylor Swift's songs. They are my favorite parts because I can listen to all kinds of music. My ears pop when I am on a plane. They also help me balance. I like to balance so I can do flips. My ears are tunnels to my brain. My excellent ears are the best part of me! |