Me Box

LEARN ABOUT YOUR STUDENTS WITH THE ITEMS THEY PRESENT IN A BOX

What is a Me Box?

A Me Box is a box that students fill with items that represent them. These items demonstrate each student's individuality and their similarities. A Me Box can be done at any grade level, from Kindergarten to post-secondary. The task can be adapted to meet the needs of the students in your class, such as more or fewer items, or a descriptive writing/ reflective element can be added to this task. Generally, students will fill a shoebox with items from around their home and their community that best represent them. The items do not need to be in a box either, the students could also use a bag. I did not use a shoe box but rather an old shipping box I had in my home.

This assignment is open to so many interpretations and is cross-curricular. This could be a sorting or data collection element, writing, listening, oral communication, religion or family life, geography, history, and much more. As educators, this a great opportunity to get to know the students in our class, their interests and backgrounds, and a way for our students to learn about us (educators).

Reflection

I really enjoyed putting this box together. At home, when I was finding the items I was able to reminisce on all the amazing memories I had with the people I love; in addition rethink everyday items I have at home, and how they are a representation of me.

In my box I included:

A family photo
A picture of my best friends
Coffee pod
Tea bag
A cross
A bracelet with a yellow topaz
Hamilton (broadway show) Playbill
Visual PEC Cards on a Niagara University Landyard
A light-up bracelet from a concert
Coins from around the world
A toy koala
A blue hair clip
A bracelet that a student made for me
A makeup bag that says Saggitarius

Item meanings: My family and friends are very important to me, they are my motivation, and drive and are the most supportive and loving people in my life. I am a coffee and tea person, each beverage has a purchase and time to be consumed and enjoyed. I am Roman Catholic and my faith plays a big role in who I am as a person and is a big support system for me in difficult times. My birthday is in November, and my birthstone is a yellow topaz. In addition, I came home from work to find a big box for my birthday. I had to cancel my birthday celebrations due to the COVID-19 pandemic but my friends all came to support me (safely); the bracelet was one of the items in the box. Hamilton was the show I really wanted to see, I got to see the show in March 2023, I studied the show for years and I was so excited to see it in Toronto. Supporting all children is a passion of mine, and how I support my student, I use PEC cards on a regular basis to support all the students in my class with visual cues. I attend Niagara university for a teacher's college. I collect coins from around the world, and I hope to travel more once I have the means and certificate to teach around the world. I want to travel to Australia and hopefully work in Australia. My favourite colour is blue and I always carry something to keep my hair away when I am working with children. My students hold a special spot in my heart, so I cherish items they make me. Finally, I am a sagitarus.

In addition, we got to share our box with the rest of the class. Our cohort consists of paraprofessionals who come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, however, I noticed a lot of us had very similar to the same items as each other . I liked how this activity can be done with a variety of age groups, and the results will always be different as for every age groups experiences and interests. In addition, the expectations can be varied depending on the class.

As a future educator I can see myself doing this activity at the beginning of the school year. This a great opportunity for the educator to learn about their students, and for the students to learn about the educators.

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