Imaginary Letters

1^st letter

Hello Mrs. Kaniah,

First of all, I would like to congratulate you for your wedding. While browsing in Facebook, I came across your pictures as we have a common friend. It’s been a while since I saw you but I still cherish the two years we spent together in your math class. You were the one I always admire in my last two years of school and I would like to thank you as today I followed your step and became a teacher. You were not only helpful and smart but also very funny. You were like a friend that my friends and I could share our difficulties in math as well as help us to plan our revision for our final exams. You know what, I stole your secret J which works perfectly in my class now which is singing while teaching the definitions and formulas.

I hope that I will meet you one day even though I heard that you have immigrated to Canada now.

Thank you,

Emi

Reflection on 1^st letter

I really appreciate that Emi followed my step and became a teacher. It’s not an easy job like some other people think. You have to have the passion, to love kids, listen to them attentively and guide them. Only a teacher can take care of 20 -30 kids at a time but a dentist and doctor will only take 1 patient at a time. I try to be friendly with my students because that’s the way they open themselves and share their fear for exams or any difficulties they have after the lesson has been delivered. I try to make my class lively, by using a song to remember the definitions or formulas. I know it’s not easy to have a math class on Fridays after recess. So I try to use activities and even now that I learnt a lot of math/ art learning project that will be very helpful in my math class

2^nd letter

Hey Mrs. Kaniah,

Remember me? This is Tommy from your Math 10^th class from 2005. I was out last week for dinner with my friends and during a conversation, your name came up and how we had a tough time in your math class because of the amount of homework you used to give. I still remember that you used to say that “Practice makes perfect” but I never agreed with this. I think that “Quality of work is better than quantity of work.” I hope that you have reduced the amount of homework for those poor students in your class because for me your class was difficult. Also, sometimes it was very hard to hear you if I was sitting at the back.

Anyway I just wanted to let you know that though you were a good teacher, the amount of homework you gave really affected me during my grade 10 and I hope that you changed your methods so that the learners can enjoy your teaching.

 Hope to see you soon Ma’am,

Take care,

Tommy

Reflection on 2^nd letter

This letter helped me to change my strategies. Now, I should give less homework or even start it as a classwork and finish it at home. I want my students to participate more in class and do some activities to encourage group learning. I will also try to walk around the class so that am audible to everybody. I can do a different sitting arrangement every week so that everybody get a chance to be in front. I am quite worried about this especially after you are done with an activity, it’s hard for students to continue with their classwork. At times students keep talking and I find it a bit difficult to get the attention of all the students.