One of the last assignments I gave my Advanced Placement seniors just before I retired in 2004 was as follows:Write a letter to yourself five years into the future. In your letter, explain what you have accomplished since graduating from high school and also explain where your life is now headed.
I asked my 37 students to place their letters in envelopes, seal the envelopes, address the letters to themselves, and give the letters to me. I promised I would mail the letters back to them in May 2009.
Well, it's May 2009 already. These young men and women, a wonderful bunch as high school seniors, are now college graduates, I assume, and have one year of a career under their belts.
It would be fun to see them open and read these letters which they wrote when they were only 17 or 18. I'll put them into the mail tomorrow. I hope each of them has experienced much success already. They're so bright and ambitious.
what a fun idea. I bet some of the letters come back without a forwarding address as so many move around so much these days even their parents. That would be a fun thing to do for ourselves-make some goal perhaps on our blog and check back in 5 years to see if we accomplished them.
ReplyDeleteLin, Several of the students anticipated moves, so they addressed their letters to relatives who could forward the letters to the students.
ReplyDeleteThis is an amazing project! How neat for your former students to receive their letters soon! I hope the postage stamps are still good :)
ReplyDeleteI'd planned to mail the letters at the end of this month, Cheryl, but when a postal clerk told me yesterday that postage goes up to 44¢ this coming Monday, I decided to mail them today. I'll add 5¢ to their 37¢ stamps. Still a good deal, though.
ReplyDeleteI hope you will hear from some of these students. What a wonderful idea. We need more teachers, like you, in this world.
ReplyDeleteAunt Jean I'm back again! I kept thinking of your wonderful idea last night. Susan said exactly what I was thinking..how we need more teachers such as you! I just am so taken with the letter project!
ReplyDeleteI wanted to write long, tearful notes on the backs of the envelopes, telling my students I missed them and hoped their life's dreams are coming true, but I contained myself. I did have thousands of wonderful students over the years. Sob.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I just this minute got back from the post office. The letters are on their way. Thank you, Susan and Cheryl, for your nice comments.
ReplyDeleteWhat a terrific idea. I am so curious to see what you find out about them. I think what they will also realize is that 5 years goes by in a flash.
ReplyDeleteI gotta say it. I think that was a stroke of brilliance! What a marvelous thing for you to have them do... and I'm impressed, well, maybe stunned is a betetr word for it... that you kept track of them and have remembered to mail them. I would bet that many of them have forgotten about that exercise. What a fun surprise it will be for many... and what a happy reminder of their youthful aspirations.
ReplyDeleteI'd have lost them I'm sure...or remembered to mail them sometime late October. Gosh... I can't even remember to mail my cell phone payment. I've been known to carry it around in my purse for weeks. I've also been known to pay my July bill before I mail in my June payment because I changed purses or put it in the back pocket of my jeans so I'd be SURE and mail it... then washed my jeans forgetting that I'd left the envelope in them.
Anyway, I digress... Great idea. You must have been a master teadher!
This is such a terrific assignment. What a fabulous teacher you were to think of this and to follow through for them. I know you are a teacher they will never forget!
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