How Should a Third Grade Teacher Handle Valentine's Day?

Next week Santa Cruz elementary school children will be uber-excited as one of their favorite holidays occurs on February 14th. Valentine’s Day. This “holiday” is right up there with Halloween and Christmas. 

I have fond memories of my own elementary school days. The excitement began the week before Valentine’s Day when our teacher would send home the list of students, written in her perfect cursive. In our class we would spend hours upon hours making mailboxes, hand-cutting thirty hearts and doilies and using wintergreen scented paste. 

As instructed by our teacher we would make valentine cards for every student in the class so that no one would be left out. There was the unspoken competition of who could make the most beautiful valentine for the teacher. And, of course, the silent speculation of who had crushes on whom. 

February 14th would arrive and we could not focus on anything other than what awaited us after lunch...passing out Valentine cards, one by one. This would drag on for over an hour and we absolutely loved it. Each student would carefully open the cards, read them, gush over them, sort them by size, shape color or beauty.  At the end of the day, our teacher would tell us to pack up our valentines in our mailboxes and maybe, just maybe, she would give us a Hersey’s Kiss or a heart-shaped cookie. A perfect day!

Those were the good ole’ days. 

Times have changed. 

Next week my classroom could be flooded with store-bought Sponge Bob, Hello Kitty, and Angry Birds Valentines. But that’s not all. Each tiny card will have some sort of candy in or on it. Not only that, but most students don’t even address or sign the cards. They just open the box, right then and there, and pass out the candy-cartoon-card.

In the past few years my students have put zero importance on the card, the message or the thought, so this year we are changing things up in Room 29. Like I say time and again, “We’re going back to old school, boys and girls. You’ll get to see what you’ve been missing.” Generally, when I say this, my students are pleasantly surprised.

Store-bought valentines will be prohibited. Candy may not be passed out with cards. We will each make an old-fashioned shoe-box mailbox and pass out our cards one by one. The option of NOT making a valentine for an arch enemy is out. 

This year each student will write a a compliment for every student in the class. As a group, we will bring out the pink, red, white, and purple construction paper, doilies, and glue sticks, make a mess and make our valentines. The students in my class will get to experience giving and getting compliments and making their classmates feel good. 

February 14th is a day where everyone gets to feel good and love...without the sugar unless Ms. French brings a kiss.

Happy Valentine’s Day!