A recent “quickwrite” assignment in my class was for students to write a letter to me. From one boy straggler:

Dear Mr. Jacobs,

I was just wondering how it feels to be a teacher. I think it would feel pretty good being able to boss people around. I’ve been meaning to ask you, “How much do you get paid.” I heard you get paid like enough to buy a cow if you saved up your money for a year.

I’ve also been meaning to say that english is not really my best subject so I was just going to tell you that my FAVORITE time of day is PE. I like PE because I like to run/stay in shape because if you stay in shape, you get ALL the girls like me.

Sincerely,
Your friend,
C.R.

From an exercise in writing dialog:
“Hey, homie, what’s up?” my best friend ST half shouts.

“Just chillaxing,” AM replies a hint of bordum in her voice.

“Well, I wanna show you a new handshake that’s totally fisizziling.”

“Sure, but only if you’ll learn mine because I guarantee it’s much more smoking,” replied AM.

“You’re on!” ST exclaimed.

From a persuasive letter to a leader, in this case President Obama:
If we have shorten school days are shorten, then students would have more time to spend with are familes. On school days I wake up at 6:00-6:30. My dad is usally still asleep and my mom is at work. At 7:45 my dad is still asleep when my sissters and I get on the Bus. This means we don’t ever get to see are parents in the morning. And when we come home around 4:00 my dad soon leaves to go to work at 4:30, He comes home at 11:00, which is after our bed time at 9:00. We dont get to see our parents at all on weekdays. And on weekends we go over to our grandparents’ house, so we don’t get to see them then either.

Another reason to shorten school day is so that we can have a lot more fun. I would get to see my mom and dad, and we could go places in the afternoons and I could have a better relationship with them. We could be home texting and all that. I have form 4:30-9:00 to do all the fun things. That is not alot of time.

If we have shorter school days, then studnts wouldn’t have to listen to thier teachers talk all the time. Thats a proplem because teachers do get ignoring sometimes.

So if you can, please make the school day shorter. No school on Mondays and Fridays would be great, too.

On Wednesday morning I had an email from a mother that her student “was upset this morning before leaving for school. She said that you said yesterday we were supposed to have 6-8 inches of snow this morning. I tried to assure her that she had misunderstood something. She was insistent she had heard correctly. Do you know anything about this?”

I very quickly and rather profusely apologized and said I would be more careful about my sense of humor in the classroom.

She replied, “I knew there had to be something logical behind it! She takes things so literal! … This happens EVERY day in our home about someone or something–the other day my husband said ‘it might rain today.’ Ha! Need I say more!”

After I arrived at school this morning in a blue polo shirt (but not my most favorite blue shirt, which I wore every Friday for the first three years of my teaching career but have since semi-retired), a very complex and broad-minded colleague stopped by to say that he was wearing blue quite by accident.

Well, so was I, I quickly told him after reading the email forward he’d mentioned, one that our forward-happy librarian sent out earlier this week. An excerpt:

Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing blue every Friday. The reason? Americans who support our troops used to be called the ‘silent majority’ We are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for God, country and home in record breaking numbers We are not organized, boisterous or overbearing.

Many Americans, like you, me and all our friends, simply want to recognize that the vast majority of America supports our troops. Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and respect starts this Friday — and continues each and every Friday until the troops all come home, sending a deafening message that every red-blooded American who supports our men and women afar, will wear something blue. By word of mouth, press, TV — let’s make the United States on every Friday a sea of blue much like a homecoming football game in the bleachers. 

If every one of us who loves this country will share this with acquaintances, coworkers, friends, and family, it will not be long before the USA is covered in BLUE and it will let our troops know the once ‘silent’  majority is on their side more than ever, certainly more than the media lets on. 

The first thing a soldier says when asked ‘What can we do to make things better for you?’ is ‘We need your support and your prayers.’ Let’s get the word out and lead with class and dignity, by example, and wear something blue every Friday.

Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you:

1. Jesus Christ
2. The American G. I.

One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.

YOU MIGHT WANT TO PASS THIS ON, AS MANY SEEM TO FORGET BOTH OF THEM.

Good grief! I almost changed back into my sweaty biking shirt, or pinned a small sign to myself: “This shirt is green.” Instead, throughout the rest of the day I noticed the other faculty who were in fact also wearing blue. I felt rather annoyed and sick to think that they might think that I think like they do.

In my state public schools are required to improve their state test scores each year or face major repercussions. While my school has made the necessary score increases in recent years, we’re facing some score patterns that put us on track to fall short in the coming years.

This is a bad situation precisely because we’re good. After all, a “bad” school with low scores really doesn’t have to get “good” scores in order to be touted as making strides and doing a great job. Schools with already high schools, however, have to make even higher scores–or else the news headlines that may have once read “School Scores Improve As Hoped” will turn to “Once Successful School Fails”–even though the now-“failing” school is still achieving scores well above another school that is improving (but still has lower scores).

It’s the definition of tragedy: One’s assets become one’s downfall. Just like Hamlet’s prudence and caution so as not to avenge his father’s murder rashly or unjustly allows time for additional and his own terminal misfortune, my school’s hitherto success at achieving high test scores will henceforth make it impossible for us to make the necessary score gains.

Central in our fail destiny is the same subject test that has middle schools all over the state pulling their nipple hairs and slamming their fingers in doors: Math 7. From what I’ve heard, seventh grade math is a huge cognitive processes jump for students requiring abstract, conceptual thinking and whatnot–and the test reveals that the children we teach simply are not ready for the leap.

The kicker here? In the new standards coming into effect over the next years, an attempt is being made to alleviate the suffering of the seventh grade math realm–by moving some of that new content into the sixth grade curriculum, where the students are even less ready for such thinking.

During class on the last day of summer school I made one last attempt to connect with my students–and to fill time my lack of planning had left desperately vacant–by asking them to write another letter to me, just like they had at the beginning of the session (except this time I didn’t written to them again, since this assignment was a last-second whim).

A number of them obliged:

…goodbye ur a ok teacher. ur mean u want t obe. I mit see u next year.

…I learned alot of stuff during summer school. I thought summer school was going to be boring but but the last to weeks of summer school I had alot of fun.

…You’ve made summerschool fun. I’ve Liked the book maniac Magee. So far Its the best book ever, well that iv read. I don’t no about you. Is it? Well this Is the first ever time ive been to summer school. It’s esay. And youve made it fun so have a good summer.

…I don’t thinck I spelled your name write.

…All I’m doing the rest of the summer is work cutting down trees and working out with my cousin. I got paid 10 dollars and hour.

…i hate summer school

…Summer school is [crossed out: boRRRRing] stupid

…I hope you have a great summer.

…My favorite colors is lime green, and blue. The 4 pets that I like are kittens, puppies, dolphins, and penguins. I have 1 brother and 1 sister. My brother is 13 and my sister is 9. I love summer school because it was fun and interesting the way we learned. I hope I have you as a teacher in 7th grade. this is my 1st time in summer school.  PS. It was nice meeting you.

…I am going to work I am being a painter and I will get 5.50 an hour and I learned a lot about summer school I really enjoyed having you for a teacher. You was as nice as a cat.

…good Bye

…i don’t have no probm with school the onely thang is i don’t like giting up summer was and browing somer.C-goodby.

…Yesterday was my birthday and it was the best Birthday in 6 years. I was so surprised that I got Everything that I wanted. OMG I can’t wait for my next Birthday! I’m starting to get use to saying that I’m 14, but I still have to work on it. What I got for my Birthday is A New blue XL D.S.I, New skinny Jeans, and I’m getting my nails done and we get to go out to Applebee’s. Im So Excited!

…I will miss you Mr. Jacobs I wont forget you (I might forget about you but I will try not to) so Im saying my goodbyes but I might see you during the school year but I might not. So goodbye I will miss you

…I’ve sort of enjoyed summer school. You are a big leader as well as ar a teacher. Your always full of jokes and other things. Have fun with the rest of your fee maybe summer. The teacher who rides his bike is a smart teacher because he know he can save the earth. If you want to see me or chat or something I might be at the supermarket you never know. I hope I do well next year and get caught up in all the learning. Have fun (Hags)-means have a great summer. From: The enspiring writer M–.

This was my first ever of four weeks teaching summer school. I quickly realized that if the students hadn’t succeeded during the traditional school year, four more weeks of the same wouldn’t be too helpful, either. I need to be especially creative when finding ways to engage and teach these kids.

Of course, we still read and write together–but I’m trying to make it all acutely relevant to their lives. On Tuesday I wrote them a letter telling about me, and asked them to write back to me telling me about themselves.

Since then, they’ve been elaborating selected subjects from their letters into essays, which are going to be extremely interesting, judging from these highlights from their letters:

…when I was 12 I got shot in the face with a 22 revlover it took out 4 teeth and creaked my jaw bone realy bad but anyways I play the electric gutair/drums.

…When I grow up I want to be a teacher or a vetenarian. It is going to be hard to be a vetenarian because I have allergies toward cats.

…I have ten brothers and one half sister. Some times i am at the point were I just want to leave home for a couple of days because they drive me nutts…. I ain’t a gurly girl. I am a country girl. I have lived in the country most of my life. But we had to move because the landlord got mad because my brothers always tore up his land so he kicked us out.

…Last year my dad got married on July 7, 2007 at 7:00 pm then when Christmas came my dad started to get sick and then when new year came my dad was in the hospitial and on feberary 9, came my dad pass away at 4:15 he died of C.O.P.d. and C.h.f. I miss him and when my mom got a new boyfriend and he cheated on her so my life is a mistory so I wish it could get better but if it cant then I haft to get better at life….

…I’m an avrge student. I don’t do much I wake up six o’clock in the mourning. I always climb trees and jump onto my trampoline. I do that for about two or three hours. I ride my bike for an hour.

…I hate school. school is a prison with wierdos in it.

…Some people believe when I say this but we have six and one half acres of land just for pepper. In fact I planted 6,510 peppers last year, all on my own…. In sixth grade I wrote a story of chicken world, I was hungry when I thought of the Idea. Also, Most people don’t know that I have 31 letters in my whole name.

…My dad and mom split up two years ago I was at church when they split but I was ok. My stepmom is really mean shes as mean as a cheatea not geting it’s food. She yells at my dad and doesn’t like jokes or anything. She does everything in the house that probley why she’s so mean and I help her sometimes but not offten….

…I like worken I’d rather work then go to school. I like farmen and driven the bobcat and tractor I have cows I live on a dirt road and I like driven my four wheeler through the creek.

…My Dad doesn’t live with me either he lives in D–. I don’t get to see him very often. The last time I saw him was on my birthday. I hope to see him again.

…My uncle Dennie was shot 3 years ago. I think about him alot. sometimes I wonder if they will ketch his killer. I got 10 Dogs, 11 miniature Horses. My favorite Horse is chip we call him that because He loves to eat Bar-b-que chip. On our horses shoing day we call it rodeo day because Kieth always ends up getting kicked in His nuts By a horse

…Right after school let out me and my went to go and see my Paralyzed cousin because he was sad and depressed, before we could go see him he ended up commiting suicide by drinking antifreeze me and mom didn’t know what to do but that I ended up meeting my dad the first time in my life and all my sisters and that’s in a nutshell what u didn’t about me since school let out.

…Whenever I was 6 years old my parents got a Divorce and when I turned 7 my mome comittied suiside…. My birthday is coming very soon. My dad Probably won’t even care. My dad lives in R– with my step mom and my little sister…. I miss her so much. I haven’t seen her since last thankgiving for only 3 days and that’s it.

…I hate school. I think its boring. I get in troble because I dont like school. I think [in-school suspension] is the funest class [after school detention] is fun because u dont have to do anything.

…Dear teacher person, I hate school but the only reason I come is because of [the school’s at-risk-youth program]. I like to hunt and fish.

…I don’t like math very much and I don’t like school either. I like to play football and to play outside…. I dont like writing or reading because I have to be moving or something because I hate staying still.