How to Make a Me Box

Part of settling in and committing ourselves to community is getting to know each other--not only our individual needs but also our individual gifts and passions! What does each of us love to do? What are we really good at? What are the strengths and joys and interests that each of us brings to this community?

I start the ball rolling by giving first graders (and any other new students) a lesson on my Me Box. A Me Box is a special box that's all about me. The box I've chosen for mine is one that my crafty grandmother painted years ago.

Me Boxes are a little bit mysterious.

Each of the objects inside is a clue about the person who assembled the box. They might be hints about hobbies or souvenirs from significant life events.






I gather the children in a circle, and (one at a time) each is invited to remove something from the box.

The children act as investigators--making observations and drawing conclusions about the objects. "What is it? What is it made of? How is it used? Why would I have included this in my Me Box? What does it tell you about me?"

Each child is invited to create a Me Box and bring it to share with us on his/her birthday. The "boxes" come in all shapes and sizes--a tiny suitcase, a shopping bag, a decorated shoebox . . . a child named Starr used a star-shaped box for hers. The contents are equally varied: sports trophies, family photographs, early schoolwork, old journals, artwork, rocks . . . One child brought in a cast from a broken arm. It warms my book-loving heart that the children so often include a favorite book in their Me Boxes! And I love watching each child give us "a lesson" about him or herself!

A great book for adults: The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien--The title essay explores the ways in which the objects we carry speak about who we are and what we value.