This morning was Day 1 of the NECAP (New England Common Assessment Program) Reading Test. Since I was up way before dawn, I decided to write each of my kids a little note. I put each one in a small envelope, put my “This was made for you by…” Stamp on the back of each one, and then placed them on each child’s desk this morning.
My initial motivation for this was to have the kids trade the last-minute test prep strategies I was sharing with them with each other. However, what I got was something far more important. Instead of walking around the classroom asking, “What did she write on yours?” each child, instead, sat in the classroom, silently, looking at their note. Some tried to keep it out on their desk during the test, but I insisted that they get put away. However, after I collected all of the testing materials, I noticed the cards surfaced again. Some students kept them out on their desks for the entire day. Hmmm…
This little ‘incident’ makes me realize how far a handwritten note goes. There’s something special, and powerful, about giving and receiving handwritten communication, isn’t there?
Yes, it’s time consuming to write notes to every kid in your class, especially if you want them all to be a little different. However, receiving a note makes someone feel special… give it a try in your classroom soon and watch the smiles spread. (Oh, and the added bonus is that you’re showing your kids how nice it feels to receive a piece of writing.)
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You are a thoughtful and kind person. That is what your students are going to remember!
I have had classes do this before for each other. They can be anonymous, I make sure each child gets another child’s name, and I give them a fancy piece of paper to use. They write nice things to each other after a performance, or a project, or just for Valentine’s Day. Like you said, they love it and look at it over and over.
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I also love handwritten notes and still attempt to write them occasionally. It’s so great that you wrote notes for your students, creating a special connection for each child. I am always amazed at what cool projects you initiate in your classroom.
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My father used to say that there is nothing more important than the right note at the right time. Since he was both a musician and a diplomat, this was a pun that I always appreciated. I love this idea that you shared with us– definitely “the right note at the right time!”
Sometimes, instead of morning message on a chart, I type the message on the computer. I make a copy for each child with lines on the back so each child can right me back. They love to walk in and see that message on their desk! Even though this message is not personal, each child receives it as though it were a gift.
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I have been making and sending handwritten notes for the last 6 weeks – at least one per week. And last week I heard from our finance director that my note came on a day when she had a not so fun meeting in the morning. That note brought some perspective to the day. I am planning to do handwritten notes to my families over the next few weeks too. What a very cool thing to do on the day of this test for your own students.
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