Pillowcases encourage students to dream big

Published 6:30 am Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Athens Intermediate School teacher Pat Lann is always looking for ways to create lasting memories with her students — little mementos that, in years to come, will remind them of their elementary school years and the city they called home.

Inspired by Athens’ bicentennial, Lann thought her students would enjoy recording their hopes and dreams on pillowcases they designed themselves.

To get them thinking, she asked each of her 24 homeroom students to write with permanent marker the following statement somewhere on their pillowcase: My dreams began in Athens, Alabama. From there, students were given free rein to record their goals for today and tomorrow in words and pictures.

“I saw lots of soccer balls and footballs,” Lann said. “But I also saw students write about college and the careers they wanted to go into.”

On the front of his pillowcase, fourth-grader Sam Byington drew a picture of a sailboat afloat on the ocean with the sun setting in the background. Next to the boat he wrote of his dream to become a marine biologist.

“I included the sailboat because sometimes scientists dive off of them into the water to do their marine stuff,” said Byington, who hopes one day to attend either Utah State or Brigham Young University in Hawaii. For now, he is reminded of his goals every time he lays his head down on his pillow, which is exactly what Lann was going for.

“I know people are more likely to achieve their goals when they write them down,” she said. “It helps them focus on what they really want out of life. Our dreams begin in Athens but they can take us anywhere.”

For Lann, Athens sesquicentennial left such an impression on her that she still remembers the period dresses her mother sewed for her and her sister to wear on the day of the celebration. She hopes that by encouraging her students to include something about the bicentennial on their pillowcases, however small, they too will be reminded of this significant time in Athens’ history.

“Imparting our history to our children is important to me,” Lann said. “I believe children take more pride in their surroundings if they understand it and have a respect for it.”

To that end, Lann has come up with two other projects to help students remember their history. On Dec. 14 her students will celebrate Alabama’s birthday by making homemade Christmas ornaments and Alabama flag-shaped graham crackers.

The class also did a video compilation of students in front of their favorite historical marker.