Just a Note...
12/13/2020
Last week our daily Morning Message asked students to grab a sticky note with a classmate’s name on it and write a compliment on it. At the end of the day, the sticky notes were passed out, so each student received an anonymous compliment. Many of those notes have stayed inside students’ folders or on their tables for several days: a testament to the power of kind words. They like seeing them, tangible and real in front of them. We are blessed during this pandemic to have so many technological tools that allow us to see and hear each other from a distance. We have instant connection via texts and Face Time and Zoom. Emails allow us to check in with others and communication takes place in seconds. And yet the power of a handwritten note or card is undiminished. Notes, cards, letters are special: they are tangible, personal, real. Holiday cards arrive in the mail and bring a smile to our faces, and they are even more exciting when a letter accompanies them. Letter writing is a writing mode that isn’t often given much attention, but it is a powerful mode for students to explore. It’s a very personal way to share one’s thoughts and ideas, and because there is a known audience, it requires the writer to think about the reader at the other end. In doing so, the writer becomes aware of all the traits of good writing organization, word choice, conventions, ideas, sentence fluency, voice. How will the letter be perceived? Will my message be understood? Which parts are most important, and which parts can be cut? If I am writing a postcard, how will I make my message clear and meaningful in such a small space? And so we are exploring letter writing. As we continued learning about the fifty states for social studies, we have joined with other classrooms around the country in a 50 state postcard exchange. This week students read several postcards that have arrived so far. They were enchanted and excited to hear from students in other states. We read about historical facts, state nicknames, interesting activities and more. Students are itching to begin writing back to share about OUR state. As they do this, they will be thinking hard about the best ways to craft their message, to share what they love about their home with someone who has never been there. Additionally, students will begin writing reader response letters in reading workshop. Each week they will write a letter to their teacher or a classmate about their current book. They will use the letter to share a brief summary and share their personal response and connection to the text. This makes students be reflective as they read, and to consider the author’s message, craft and style. They will share their thinking in letter form. Finally, we received an invitation from a teacher in Russia to correspond with her students. These Russian students are eager to connect with our class, and thus we have yet another reason to become better writers. The simple letter - on a postcard, in a reading journal, to a student on the other side of the county or the world - becomes the vehicle for communication and connection. We can all use as much of that as we can get right now! |
Martina HenkeMartina Henke has been a K-8 educator for 30+ years. A life-long learner, she loves working with kids of all ages, new technology, great books, fiber arts, and her wonderful family! Archives
April 2021
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