When I Grow Up

WHEN I GROW UP

"When I grow up I want to be a farmer and a dairy store owner.  I want to do this because I like to work with animals and people.  I'd name my dairy store Tashner Dairy.  I'd sell milk, yogurt, ice-cream, and cheese shaped like cows.  My employees would also wear cow suits."

-Brody

I'm inspired by old things.  This particular project was inspired by a pair of frameless glasses I found underneath some old photographs while rummaging through my dad's antique store several years ago.  My sister and I first put them on as a joke and ended up having way too much fun with them posing for pictures.  I got to thinking if two grown adults had so much fun with a pair of old glasses, that my students would totally enjoy it too.  So...why not tell them these are the super-magical-fantastic "When I Grow Up" glasses!  Or simply put, this is what you might look like once you start paying bills and taking your future children to soccer practice.  The handmade facial hair is simply an added bonus.  Give kids a sheet of black paper, and I promise they will amaze you.  

"When I grow up, I want to be a model, a soldier, a hockey player, and a veterinarian! I want to be a veterinarian because you get to help animals.  A model gets to be on Miss America and wear dresses.  A soldier gets to work with cool machines, and playing hockey is just fun either way!"

-Laney

As you can see, Laney wants to be A LOT of things, and that's totally inspiring.  It's important kids know that they don't have to do one job for the rest of their life.  They can do many things, and what they want to do might change many times throughout their life (I'd call that healthy progress if you ask me).  The important thing is that they do what makes them happy!

"When I grow up I want to be a basketball player.  I want to do this because I like shooting hoops (especially trying to shoot hoops from half court!).  I love the excitement of the game."

-Dawson

I started this project out by telling my students that I didn't always want to be a teacher (that wasn't until much later in life).  In fact, when I was nine I was certain I was going to be a cake decorator.  My nine year-old brain could think of nothing better than a job where one could write names in multi-colored frosting while secretly eating leftover cake batter!  Who knows, maybe next year I will enroll in Master Cake Decorating 101.  It's never too late to learn something new.

"When I grow up I want to be an architect.  I have always wanted to make a blueprint for something, and I love to draw."

-Charlie

"When I grow up, I want to own a horse ranch and train horses.  I think it would be fun to ride, train, and take care of horses.  I want to do this job because I love to work with animals.  I would have a special training area for younger kids.  I think this job would be hard sometimes, because horses don't always cooperate."

-Sadie

"When I grow up, I want to be an N.B.A. player.  I want to do this job because basketball is one of my favorite things to do, and you get to travel all over the world.  You also get paid like three million dollars a game."

-Brandon

"When I grow up I want to be a veterinarian.  I want to do this job because I love animals.  I think it would be fun to check the animals to see if they are healthy, and to weigh them.  I have loved animals my whole life."

-Leah

"When I grow up I want to be a movie director, because I could make awesome movies!  I also want to be a fireman, so I can be like my grandpa.  I would love to ride in a firetruck."

-Connor

So there you have it!  Another snapshot of a totally amazing group of kids who are dreaming big.  I hope I've inspired you to make use of something that was seemingly a piece a junk, and if all else that I put a smile on your face.  If a paper mustache won't, I'm not sure what will ;)

As Joseph Campbell would say (thank you Laurel and Richy):

"Follow your bliss."