Thank+You+Mrs.+Epstein

Dear Mrs. Epstein,

I want to thank you for letting me spend the semester in your classroom. I enjoyed observing your teaching strategies and classroom management techniques. The day flows by so nicely, and the students are always learning in your room.

Right in the beginning of the day is when you do the riddle of the day. I think this is a great way to jumpstart students’ learning. You mentioned to me that you let them have a few minutes to socialize, but then they are responsible for getting themselves ready for the day. This creates a flexible environment for students to know when it’s time to talk and when it’s time to get to work.

I learned a lot from watching how you teach Reading. Students read their Literature Circle/Book Club books then do a project. It was fun to watch their projects, and it’s nice that they have choice in what type of project they’d like to do. I just read a book called The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller. She emphasized the importance of giving students choice in which books they’d like to read and how they’d like to express their comprehension of the book. In addition, I like that you give students reading logs rather than comprehension and vocabulary questions. They can reflect upon their reading in their own way, which encourages open-ended comprehension. A minor detail that I noticed with the students is that they are allowed to have their reading books on their desks at all times. I think this serves as a reminder to read during down times, while also helping students think about the book whether they’re reading it or not. Miller also encourages this idea, so students have books accessible to read if only for a few minutes here and there.

When I observed your introduction to World War II, I wasn’t sure how a topic like that could be introduced. However, I really liked that you asked them just to listen. The students did not read or write anything, they sat and listened to the story that you told. Classrooms are full of reading and writing at all times. I could tell, though, that the students enjoyed a time of the day where they could relax and just listen to a story. You gave an overview of World War II, and it was particularly effective because in the students already had an understanding of previous events.

One thing I noticed during Math was that students know they are accountable for their own work. Each day when you discuss the homework, they write down the problems they got correct and incorrect. This way, when the test comes around, they know what to study in the book. Also, you have a way to track their progress. I think that because they keep these sheets in their desks, students have this as their own personal tracking of their progress.

A few times, I filed students’ test papers. Your filing system is absolutely something I would like to use in my own classroom. It’s smart to have parents sign the tests so it’s guaranteed that they’ve seen both the good and the bad. Also, when parent conferences come around, you have an entire folder full of work to discuss with parents. Everyone benefits from these files, and I admire the organization methods you use.

Because of the day to day activities you do with your students each day, I have noticed a respectful learning environment in your classroom. It’s evident that students trust each other because a student I had a private conference with mentioned that she loves school because if she answers something wrong, everyone is friends and no one will make fun of one another. Getting students to reach this point as a class is not easy, but I feel fortunate to have been in a classroom where these values are shared.

Thank you again for teaching me this semester. I could tell that you were eager to help us learn. Some lessons that I taught went well, while others fell hard. However, you always gave me constructive advice and never gave up on guiding my learning. I learn best from experiences, and truly appreciate the amazing experience I had in your classroom.

Thank you,

Alison Haugh