Why this 3rd grade teacher delivered stuffed animals to her students door-to-door
An Indiana teacher went door-to-door hand-delivering gifts to her students in recent celebration of them completing their final class projects.
Shannon Anderson, of Rensselaer, is known for her exciting end-of-year project where her third graders get to write, edit and illustrate their very own books.
Anderson even has their book characters made into custom stuffed animals called Budsies.
Usually, the class has a book reveal party where the kids receive their Budsies in person, but with school closed for the remainder of the year due to COVID-19, Anderson decided to bring them to each child's home.
"It was the best day ever because we hadn't seen each for so long," Anderson told "Good Morning America." "I think it worked out great. Everyone was ready for a pick-me-up."
Anderson has been an educator for 25 years. She began the class book project when she taught first grade. Those children would each contribute one page that would become a single book.
"When I switched over third grade, I knew they could handle the whole thing themselves," Anderson said of the two-month class assignment.
This is the fourth year Anderson has gifted the stuffed toys to her students.
If school was in session, Anderson would have the kids draw their fictional characters on a white dress, which she would eventually don to the book party.
This year, students illustrated their character on white T-shirts instead, and Anderson arrived at their homes with their Budsies.
Maurie Johns said her son, Joshua, 9, was thrilled to see his teacher, who masked up before visiting all 24 kids.
"When they canceled school he said, 'Why does it have to happen the year I have Mrs. Anderson?'" Johns said, adding her 11-year-old daughter, Crysta, is a former student of the educator.
For his project, Joshua decided to to write a sequel to his older sister's book, which was about a robot.
His classmate, Maci Muschett, also 9, wrote about a dog named Gerbull -- a mix between a German shepherd and a pit bull.
"[Mrs. Anderson] is incredible and our school system has been really lucky to have her," said mom Melissa Muschett.
Jessica Burlingham, mom to Elsie, 9, said her daughter could barely sleep the night before, knowing Anderson was arriving in the morning.
"She sat outside for an hour waiting," Burlingham told "GMA." "They work so hard at this ... she was super ecstatic."
