Last year, I found that one of the greatest things that I have ever done as a teacher is write a personal letter to one of my kids. I'm not sure what made me begin doing this but I begin seeing huge change in students, especially those who needed self-confidence and a boost every once in a while when they were having a tough time. So I started these yellow cards that just said, "Thank you... You made my day." They had a sunshine on them. When a student did something nice for me or someone else and it made a difference, I just wrote them a quick note to say thank you. Students started displaying these as if they had been given a golden medal of honor and as I would walk through class... they all stared to see if it was going to be given to them or not. The ones who received them felt as if they had been "the chosen" and the ones who didn't followed it up with something nice so that they could get a card next time. It had an incredible effect.
So I have been really bad at doing that this year and, in fact, did not write any during the first 9 weeks of school. I decided that I better get back in the game, and boy, am I glad I did! Last week, I gave a few notes out to students who had done exceptional things in class and had gone out of their way to do something nice and helpful for me in class (it was a rough week last week). One was given to a student who asks every single day in between every single class and everytime he sees me, "How are you doing?" "Are you feeling okay?" You get the point. And then I gave a few to students who stayed after school after Student Council to help out and just be nice... oh how I appreciate kids with time who are bored! Right?
So I give the notes to the kids who stay after school with me. Not a huge deal. I give it to one of them boys who had helped me in class. Then, I give it to D (who had helped me in class) and he helped me again after he received the note. After school, we had a parent conference and when I walked into the conference, there were 2 pieces of paper on the table in front of his mom... one about a reading group and the other? My note to D from class. I was the last core teacher to talk to his mom. I had D share about what I had told him before the note... what a leader he was, what a positive leader he could be, and how he is not meant to be a follower. With tears in her eyes, his mom looked at me and said, "I can't believe you said that [in the note], I have always thought D was a follower and I am so glad that someone saw something else." I was blown away. Who knew a note could make that much of a difference? Unfortunately, the ending to that story is not so good... he got in quite a bit of trouble (as a leader) the day after that and I have not seen him since.
The last note went to S, one of the most polite, sweetest 8th grade boys I have ever met. That's pretty much what the note said. He was the only student in my 5th period class to receive a note that day and it really made him feel like a million bucks. He just looked at me like he had won the lottery as he flattened out the note on his desk. S then said, "I don't know where I'm going to put it!" To which I replied, "Your binder?" And then he reminded me that he doesn't have a binder with a plastic cover on the front and he didn't want it to be ruined. He told me thank you over and over and over and even reminded me the next day how thankful he was to get a note from me.
I realized, even more, the importance of this on Friday when I received a folder of letters from my students and Student Council kids thanking me for doing something to make a change. Not bragging, just sharing... these are some of the things that my students told me (some of these just made me laugh because kids tell the truth!):
- "You can be nice but if people get on your bad side, they're going to wish they hadn't."
- "You are the light of my day. Thank you, a million times."
- "I enjoy being in your class because you always make us laugh and have a good time."
- "I also appreciate how you were real with me and the class." (I am straight-forward and I'm not even lying...)
- "H is for the happiness you bring."
- "When I'm in 3rd period, I'm just looking at the clock, waiting until the bell rings to go to your class."
- "You always do nice things for us. Other teachers do the same thing every day and it gets old."
- "You have inspired me to care for others with all your activities (like the purple ribbons)."
- "I respect you because you're strict and won't deal with me and my friend's crap." (That seriously made me laugh out loud!)
- (This was the one that made me laugh the most-- this girl doesn't lie.) "I think you are so funny." (Okay, that wasn't what I was talking about.) "It's also funny that you put up with us, because I think you shouldn't... What I'm trying to say is you're a very good teacher.... oh and sorry the whole class stresses you out. :/ P.S. I'm going to try harder in class. :D And I love your sarcasm." (If you're not laughing, then you take yourself too seriously!)
There are lots and these are just a few... to prove to you that these letters to me made a difference and the ones I've written have too! So the challenge... write a letter to someone who deserves it, someone who needs it, someone you keep thinking you should write to and haven't and let the words in the note be words of life to change and make a difference!
May you walk in the knowledge that what you do makes a difference and may you do more than walk in it, may you make a difference because you can!
-Melissa
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