A Teacher is Easily Persuaded

We have been writing persuasive letters and opinion essays.  During this unit we have been encouraging students to write to family members but also to adults at school and even to powerful people in our community and country.  What I want students to learn during this unit is that they have great ideas and that they can use their voice and their pen to change minds and to make a difference.  While I haven't suggested that the children write to me, this week I have had two letters left on my desk.

The first was from Hailey... and it warms my heart.

Dear Mrs. T,
I think we need more writers werk shop because some times I have to think first.  And wen I think of something to write about its time to clean up.  And we like only have 30 minnits left to write.  We need more time in writers werk shop.  Please.
Your writing loving student,
Hailey

So I wrote Hailey back in a new Writer's Notebook that I bought for her to keep, encouraging her to write all day long, even after she leaves school.  I explained to her, that writers, like her, just have to write and so they carry their notebooks with them and jot and write all day long.  Just love how she's thinking.

The other letter came from Cohen.  To frame his letter you need to know that, like many schools, we have tightened security this year.  I now carry a key on a lanyard around my neck (like a latchkey kid!) that is a key to my room because rooms must be locked at all times.  You also need to understand that we are an inclusion class, so besides the normal comings and goings, we have two different speech therapists, an occupational therapist, three different ESE teachers, a classroom Guidance teacher, a Social Skills teacher, a teacher of the Hard of Hearing, and three different RtI teachers that knock to come into our room on a daily basis.  Our locked door is more like a revolving door.

Dear Mrs. Timmons,
I get anoid hearing knock knock all day.  Can we get a doorbell?  Instead of knocking on the door all day, we could hear ding dong all day long.  I've seen another class with one.  We could put a sign that says please ring the door bell and weed never hear knock knock again well maybe at our house but the point is we wouldn't get anoid so much.  Please can we get a doorbell?
Sincerely,
Your best student 

So you probably won't be surprised to learn that I am going out to Lowe's today to see if I can find a doorbell... and I'll have that student make the sign that says, "Please ring the doorbell"!        

               Our new doorbell!