Teacher documents journeys with magnets

When Chris Morris was young, her father collected magnets for every place they visited on vacation. By the time the longtime Bellefonte Area High School history and psychology teacher was in college to study education, she “thought it would be a cool idea to display magnets” on her then-chalkboard.

Now, displayed on a whiteboard, there are hundreds of magnets in her first-floor classroom that showcase the places she has visited, as well as memorabilia from student’s journeys. It provides a story of adventure, Morris said, adding that it’s a little like being able to visit places with her students even if they don’t travel together.

“The stories of the people, cultural traditions and places are the most interesting part of this display,” she said. “At the end of each year when I take down the magnets to store over the summer, my students notice right away and tell me that my boards look too bare.”

Her favorites are that of vacations and historical places.