Student Pen Pal
This is my first year teaching in a very rural school district. They place a huge emphasis on writing, so much so that it is a "specials" class for elementary students. After taking my kindergarten students back to class one day a first grader stopped me in the hall. He had written me a letter in writing class. The P.S. to the letter was him asking me to write him back.
We have spent the last few months trading letters once or twice a week. As his music teacher, he is writing to me because he wants to write, not because he has to. I have also seen his writing and handwriting improve greatly over this time.
I think this has been such an important thing for him and for me. I have learned how important it is for children to see the adults in their life write. I think he has now seen that adults write too, not just students and that he can have a different relationship with a teacher. I have seen a difference in how he attends to lesson in my music class from before we started writing letters. He is much more focused now than he was before and I can understand so much more about him as a student.
We have spent the last few months trading letters once or twice a week. As his music teacher, he is writing to me because he wants to write, not because he has to. I have also seen his writing and handwriting improve greatly over this time.
I think this has been such an important thing for him and for me. I have learned how important it is for children to see the adults in their life write. I think he has now seen that adults write too, not just students and that he can have a different relationship with a teacher. I have seen a difference in how he attends to lesson in my music class from before we started writing letters. He is much more focused now than he was before and I can understand so much more about him as a student.