A Batch of Bobbleheads

Photo by Haley Bell 

English teacher Amy Andersen has a couple of ways of making her classroom quirky and unique, one of which is a mini-collection of bobbleheads. Andersen currently has four: Edgar Allen Poe, Jane Austen, Mark Twain and Salvador Perez.

“I just thought they’d be a cute and funny addition to my classroom,” Andersen said of her collection.

Andersen started collecting because of her father, who has almost every Royals’ bobblehead created. Earlier this season, she waited in line for four hours to get her current favorite bobblehead, Salvador Perez. Aside from Perez, Andersen’s bobbleheads showcase some of her favorite literary figures.

Another way that Andersen has made her classroom personal is through a small wall of Audrey Hepburn posters. This collection started when a student noticed Andersen’s daily coffee mug, which showcases her favorite actress. This student bought Andersen an Audrey Hepburn poster for the classroom, and from there, many other students began to make their own contributions to the collection.

“I’ve found that when you start a collection, people tend to give you more things for that collection,” Andersen said.

Andersen expects and hopes that her bobblehead collection will grow in the same way that her Audrey Hepburn collection has.

What Andersen finds most important about her collections is how they impact her classroom. She feels that it is important for teachers to feel comfortable in the place where they spend such a large majority of their time.

“Having something personal in a classroom makes it home for me,” Andersen said.