Snail Mail
A tradition I’ve had since I first started teaching (seven years ago) is to send some snail mail to my students a week or so before the first day of school. It’s a little gesture that I hope brings them joy and gets them excited about starting the new school year.
Because my school year is starting virtually, and we weren’t able to have our usual “meet the teacher” night, I felt like this small gesture was more important this school year than ever! Like many of us, my 18 future students have gone through a lot of change, stress, and uncertainty these past few months and I wanted to send them a quick “hello” to let them know I’ve been thinking about them and can’t wait to get to know them.
Here are a few things to consider if you plan to send some “I’m so excited to be your teacher” snail mail yourself:
Keep your messages short and sweet. You may already know their reading levels, but you might not! You’ll want your first “interaction” with your students to make them feel successful and not overwhelmed or discouraged.
Make it a priority to find out what their first language/home language is and include at least some kind of message or greeting in that language on your note. I personally prefer to translate the whole message if I can. (Try reaching out to a friend or colleague who can help you translate!) This shows your students and their families that their language is valued and respected.
Be intentional and mindful about the design or greeting you choose for the front of your card. Make sure it’s considering ALL of your students. What they look like, what language they speak, family structure, gender, religion, etc. I typically go for a design that is simple and generic.
Always be on the lookout for little cards like this! Over the years, I’ve snagged my postcards from the target dollar section, dollar stores, book fairs, etc. You don’t need to break the bank before the school year even begins. I recommend having a box or container where you keep all kinds of blank cards like this, just in case!
What’s a tradition you have at the beginning of the school year for your students/children? Or, what’s a tradition you had when you were going back to school? I’d love to hear about it!
