My Teacher's A Witch

Morning Meeting is definitely the time I get to know my kids the best.  On Thursday, after continuing Tuesday's comment of how to actually get me a boyfriend as a teacher appreciation gift - chocolate, gingerbread, etc...., the same student announced to the class that I looked like a witch.  It wasn't as bad as it sounds but I forget the exact context.  This student followed up that it was because I have a long pointy nose.  I had different ways I could take this as the other students stared in disbelief that a student would say this about his teacher.  What a teachable moment...I chose to let the kids in on a secret:
"Yes, my nose is long and pointy - I get it from my Dad.  It use to bother me and when I was younger kids would tell me I looked like a ferret (are these really the animals with the longest noses?! really?!).  But it is part of me and my nose isn't going anywhere so I learned to accept it and laugh about it also."  The kids had all sorts of comments to add about how they love ferrets and they are actually really cute.  I do love when they try to make me feel better :) I didn't stop at just sharing this but continued...
"I also have a freckle on the end of my nose and people are always telling me I have dirt there."  At this someone agreed that this would be really annoying and they would get tired of it.  I continued...
"You probably haven't noticed this either but my ears are different.  One is lacking a crease.  I use to want this changed but now it's just me."
After the students got a good look at my ears I let them have the chance to share something about them that makes them different.  Not everyone chose to share and that okay because this was something very personal.  But I loved the courage of the students willing to own their differences...
"I have big feet like everyone in my family."
"I have flat feet. I also have Sever's disease and blood doesn't flow to my feet right.  I have autism."
"Everyone in my family is far sighted and has to wear glasses. I'm supposed to but I don't wear mine."
"I'm on the shorter side of my age."
"I have big ears."
"I'm small and I have funny ears.  I kind of look like an elf."
"I have a birthmark on my head that makes my hair blonde in one spot."

I am now sitting watching a DVR'ed episode of Glee where they are addressing the same idea.  I hope that my students will learn early on that its our differences that make us so great and just as much as we have to own our differences, we need to respect others' as well.