Jody Abraham, a kindergarten teacher at Albany Elementary School, found a creative way to show her love for her students. She knitted personalized hats for each of her 18 kindergarten students.
Teaching is a noble profession, and Abraham’s story is a great example of this. Inspired by a TikTok video, she asked her students to draw hats. They didn’t know these drawings would become real hats. Abraham spent six weeks knitting, putting aside chores to work on this project. “I maybe didn’t do my dishes or my laundry,” she jokes.
She worked on these hats even while attending her son’s basketball games. But for Jody, it was all worth it. “When I gave them to the kids, their eyes sparkled and they were so excited,” she said.
Jody’s gesture meant a lot to the students and their parents. One parent said her son loves his hat and wears it everywhere. Jody calls the hats “head hugs.” They are her way of saying, “I care about you.”
Knitting these hats was personal for Jody. She learned to knit from her grandmother. She remembers the hat her grandmother made for her. Now, she’s passing on that feeling to her students.
“As I knit, each student, I like to think about them and wonder: Who are you going to be someday? And what are you going to do? And right now, these are the amazing qualities you bring to our class,” Jody says.
Abraham’s gesture shows the impact of teaching beyond just lessons. Her knitting has created a warm community feeling, making her classroom a place where students feel valued and loved. This story highlights the important role teachers play in their students’ lives, through both big acts and small ones like knitting hats.
WATCH: Kindergarten Teacher Knits Hats for Her Entire Students