Article Link: http://www.exchangepress.com/article/not-a-typical-back-to-school-letter-i-welcome-families-forward/5024352/
I have a love-hate relationship with August. Well, okay, not quite hate, but high stress anyway. Every August I recreate my first letter home to the families of the children in my new class. It is my favorite time because I am excited to begin making relationships, but I am also stressed because I know there is so much I have to learn about my new students and their families. After all these years of teaching preschool, I know one thing for sure—there will be an incredible array of differences among my new group. Even if they appear to be similar at first glance, the differences among us are always stunning!
Orienting our Compass Together
My first correspondence home has a lot to cover but a singular focus: I need my families to know where I stand on our differences and our shared connections, and also what I expect from them along the same lines. So, I always begin the year with a welcome letter. But it is not a shallow, “Hi, we are going to have a great year, do not forget to pack extra clothes,” kind of welcome letter. This is my big chance to welcome the families into a journey ...