I teach my Writing for Children class on Wednesday and Friday afternoons -- so the timing was perfect this year for us to celebrate Valentine's Day!
Last week, students drew names out of a baseball cap. Their assignment -- due today -- was to write an anonymous love letter to the student whose name they drew.
On Wednesday this week, I gave the class a crash course in writing a love letter. I explained that this was a vital life skill! For starters, I explained that when you write a love letter, you have to indicate that you love your person for the right reasons. By way of example I told the class that if my husband wrote me a love letter in which he praised me for my calm, quiet, introverted personality... well, it would be a very bad love letter because I'm not calm or quiet and certainly not introverted.
So I went through the class list slowly and we took time to admire each student. And I explained that they had one goal: to write a letter so beautiful that one day, many years from now, when the recipient is packing up to move to an old age home, he or she will bring the love letter they received on February 14, 2014.
Students had to deposit their letters before class in my specially-made box (see today's first pic) and you should have seen people's faces when they were reading their letters. They looked TRANSPORTED! I asked how many got great love letters and I'd say about half the class raised their hands.
So if this doesn't prove the power of words, well, I don't know what does!
In today's second pic, you can see my wonderful students. This picture was taken post-Valentine's celebration and pre-test.
Happy Valentine's Day to one and all. Here's to love and language and love letters!
When you subscribe to the blog, we will send you an e-mail when there are new updates on the site so you wouldn't miss them.
Comments