Kids' World

Writing to Your Students

Helene Jarmol Uchida
November 2003

I write to my students a lot.

I write notes on the pages of their homework notebooks. For new students, I write, "Welcome to our class." Other general phrases I write to students, depending on the time and the situation, are: Happy Spring, Happy Fall, Happy Winter, Happy Summer, Happy Valentine's Day, Happy Halloween, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Great homework, You are a good student, You look nice today, Thank you for always helping me, Do you like English?, etc.

I like to think that when students read my words in their notebooks at home, there is an element of surprise and wonder that I took the time to write to them. Hopefully this gives them a sense of worth. In addition, I think it is admirable that they can understand me through the English written word. And, of course, there is the subtle intimacy of having a correspondence relationship with me, even if it is rather one-sided.

I also send postcards. When students come to observe a class at our school, I write a postcard encouraging them to join the school. I also write to them when they are sick or in the hospital. If a student accomplishes something of merit, I send a postcard to congratulate him/her. Graduations from kindergarten, elementary school, junior high and high school deserve a postcard from me as do participation in piano recitals, speech contests, sports events, etc.

When my adolescent students pass or fail entrance examinations, I write a letter to express my sentiments depending on the occasion.

In addition, while studying English (or any subject for that matter), it is natural for students to go into a slump at some point; when this happens, and if I am aware of it, I try to write some words of encouragement.

I also write thank you notes for little presents like muffins, cookies, beaded rings, sketches, origami or Christmas presents. I want these precious people to know I appreciate their acts of kindness.

Best of all is when students write back to me! I sometimes get letters, cards or notes for special holidays or occasions. Yes, there are lots of misspellings and grammar errors, but I am always moved by their effort to connect with me through the written word. I have a special manila folder filled with letters from my students from many years ago to the present. I like to look through them every once in a while. Reading them always triggers nostalgia.

It may seem that I spend a lot of time writing, but actually I do not. It just takes a few minutes a week to dash off a few easy-to-understand sentences via cards or notes. The written word lasts a long time and tends to cement relationships in that the students really believe I care about them.

I encourage you to think about connecting with your students in this warm, old-fashioned way.

Helene Jarmol Uchida is a veteran teacher with teaching, curriculum development and teacher training experience in the U.S., Greece and Japan. She is the director of the Fukuoka-based Little America English Schools and lectures at Fukuoka Kyoiku Daigaku. She holds the LATEM seminars every year in cities throughout Japan and is also the author of 'The Challenge Book', an interactive English book and CD especially created for Japanese elementary school students.

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