Introductory Letter Assignment

INTRODUCTORY LETTER ASSIGNMENT

•  A Day – Tuesday, August 28

•  B Day – Wednesday, August 29

Please write me a thoughtful, clearly organized letter including at least the points listed below. Please proofread and polish your letter before handing it in. Typing is not a requirement, but it is always a plus! Be as honest and expansive as you can—this letter will be confidential. I want to be able to get to know you.

POINTS TO INCLUDE IN YOUR LETTER:

Paragraph 1:

PERSONAL INFORMATION

I believe that in order to be an effective teacher, I need to know my students. Tell me a bit about yourself! Some ideas: How you spent your summer, what your family is like, what last school year was like for you, what extracurricular activities you participate in, how you like to spend your free time, how your friends would describe you, what is important to you, what your goals are, etc.

Paragraph 2:

RECENT HISTORY AS A READER AND WRITER

·  Briefly describe yourself as a reader. Do you enjoy reading?

·  Discuss any books you read this year. Comment on why you did or did not read.

·  What school-assigned piece have you most enjoyed? Why?

·  What troubles have you had with reading? What pleasures has reading given you?

·  Briefly describe yourself as a writer.

·  What motivates you as a writer?

·  What kinds of writing do you most enjoy/are you best at?

·  What troubles have you had with writing? What pleasures has writing given you?

Paragraph 3:

YOURSELF AS A STUDENT / MEMBER OF A CLASSROOM COMMUNITY

·  How do you learn best? What motivates you to learn? What are your strengths in English?

·  In what areas of English do you need to improve?

·  Briefly describe yourself as a student outside of English. What are your strengths and weaknesses?

·  What do you think are essential qualities of an effective …discussion? …discussion participant? …teacher? …engaging and worthwhile class?

·  What goals/hopes do you have for English this year? How can these be achieved?

·  What, besides a grade, do you hope to gain from English class this year?

·  What fears/anxieties/concerns do you have about English at this time?

Paragraph 4:

CLOSING THOUGHTS

·  What else should I know about you in order to help you learn and grow in English this year?

·  Do you have any questions about me or the course that you would like to have answered?

·  Anything else—a joke, a favorite quote, a random fact, a book/movie/album/restaurant recommendation, an original pet name, your favorite flavor of ice cream, whatever. Be creative!

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