Dear future students...

At the end of every school year, I have my students write letters to my next year's students telling them about my class and some of the things they can expect in their year as a fourth grade student.  I put these letters out on the desks on the first day of school for all the new students to read.  

Here are a few things my students wrote to my future students...

*Dear little kids: 4th grade is more than just being older and wanting to be popular.  It's a lot of hard work.  For example, what is 32 divided by 8?  Yeah.  You don't know the answer.  It is 4.  Because 8 x4 = 32.

*Dear 4th grader: Miss Olive Oyl is a great teacher.  She has a baby named Swee'Pea.  And she lets us bring water bottles to class.

*Dear new student: Here are some tips.  Don't get the teacher mad.  You will write an essay and it won't be fun.  Trust me.  But if you are good she might let you read instead.  So be good.  

*Dear new student: You are now in Ms. Olive Oyl's class and you may not know much so I will help you.  The thing you should remember the most is that you should not throw things in class.  When I was in class a few people were throwing things and instead of hitting each other, they hit me!  Another thing to remember is that you should not make weird sounds.  That is a a student's table was moved to the side of the room with no one else near it.  If you follow the teacher's instructions, you'll do fine.  This is all the information I can give you.  You figure out the rest for yourself.

*Dear fourth grader: This class is well.  Our teacher has a baby called Swee'Pea.  She lets us bring snack only in our lunch.  Then if we be good she would let us talk.  Then if we don't be good she would get mad.

*Dear students of the future: Some teachers are nice and some are mean, but Miss Olive Oyl is nice.  But when you are bad she is mean.  If you know your ABC's, this call will be a breeze.

*Dear fourth grader: Do good in this class.  Be nice to the teacher.  Don't disrespect her or else you'll end up like me.  Please take care of this desk.  Please don't write on the desk.  Then if you do, you will pick up trash or be suspended.  Don't write on books.  The hardest thing in this class is math.  If you don't listen, you won't pass the test.  Please listen and do better than me.  Take care of her baby on the screen.  He is so cool, he is the best.  She is the best teacher ever.  (I have a picture of Swee'Pea as my desk top, and when I turn on the projector, they see his picture every day.  They love him.  He has come to my class a few times and they take him out to recess.  I'm not sure who has more fun... him or the 23 kids chasing him around the playground!)

I'm going through more letters tomorrow... so it should be interesting to see what they write.  Although I have to say... I'm seeing that it really doesn't matter how I teach.  As long as I let them drink water and bring my kid to class, I'm pretty cool in their eyes.  :)  But watch out... if you talk or write on your desk or books, you may have to sit out of recess on the pole!