Let's just say 'Blue Mason Jars' from here on out

I'm Katie. I love Mason Jars. Especially blue-tinted vintage ones. Please don't make the mistake I did and use 'I love blue mason jars!' in a sentence while you are simultaneously replacing the word 'mason' with the brand name of the jar: 'Ball' and accidentally fading out on the word 'jars.' It makes for an awkward moment at Canton when you loudly exclaim to your bestie how much you can't get enough of them. oops.

{You can see the joke carried over to her blog post, as well as check out how we used the jars for my sister's darling wedding shower a while ago.} 

I mentioned before when I showed you the mini-mustachioed 'B' on the right side of my book shelf that I fully believe a classroom should teach academics as well as life skills and lessons. After many shopping trips turned sour by little hellions running about the store (Lately been to Ross, anyone? Yuk.), I decided it was important enough for me as a teacher to show children how to respect their surroundings. These are real life things that I purchased and they can see how much I enjoy old things juxtaposed with new. In fact, one of my students recently declared that I must really love this particular thing they were showing me because 'you KNOW how much you love old things, Miss Brown.' Thank you kids, for listening. So cute. {Still wishing that I could take a few of these little guys & gals antiquing.} Ok, I'm getting lost in happy-land discussing antiques. Where were we?

Oh, yes. I was hesitant to put my favorite blue mason jars in my classroom because of the aforementioned banshees, but I realized that this is the place where I spend most of my time and I should enjoy being there. The rest of my classroom reflects that sentiment as well, but it was far too messy to display for today's post. Laters, much laters.

I thought I'd show you the other side of my bookshelf from the B post:

A close friend and fellow teacher gave me a nekkid wooden crate that I whitewashed like the day before school started. I set the Ball Jars in there to help buffer them from attacks and I positioned our classroom owl, Roscoe, next to it just in case kids needed reminders to be careful.

It seems silly to go through all this to have nice things around kids, but I tell you, they have risen to the challenge. Only one thing has been broken all year *knock on wood* and that was a fluke-door-slammed-and-rattled-the-wall-so-an-owl-fell accident. I have seen them respect my things and work to keep their own things protected as well.

I even added LED flameless candles to them for looks. We've only turned them on once and it was a big pain. The kids sure did 'ooh' and 'ahh' though...they sounded like ladies at a bridal shower. I snapped a pic but it is a little blurry:

While I do believe these are ultimately just 'things', I think we are called to steward what we've been given. I keep my new books crisp, my car in shape, my clothes in good condition. I'm not such a stickler that people can't live around my stuff, but I think some people take advantage of their circumstantial abundance. Regardless of whether these kids will grow up as good personal stewards, it is definitely worth teaching them not to bust up someone ELSE'S property. I learned that lesson years ago by skateboarding into a neighbor's planter pot...only to lie about it and get in double-trouble.

What do you think...am I crazy for letting kids be around glass in a classroom (as some teachers have gasped about)? Or do you believe this is a lesson worth fighting for?