Letters to Lucy

I never would have thought that writing letters of gratitude would unlock so much potential for learning. In the letters below, the St. Elmo Explorer's demonstrate their strengths and weaknesses as young writers, communicators, and crusaders. I describe them as crusaders because they so willingly put aside any apprehension that they may have secretly carried and dived into pecking away at the keys on their notebooks. As their leader, I mistakenly took for granted their familiarity with the functions of the keyboard. It didn't take long to realize that these kids are not only fearless, but also unexposed to the things most professionals take for granted. I was asked questions like, "Mr. Capps, how do I make the blinky thing go to the next line?" At this point, I realized that these letters were our means to explore this new tool. After the kids learned the enter, tab, space, and shift keys-- our most rewarding discovery of the day took place. I taught them that they could almost entirely eliminate the need to ask me how to spell challenging words by trying to type them out phonetically, then right clicking the red-underlined word to reveal the correct spelling. They were absolutely amazed and mystified, and I gained a new appreciation for word processors.

As you read these letters, I hope you smile like I did when you see the sincerity and humor in their words of appreciation. If you are reading this, Ms. Buffett, I want to extend a special thank you for providing me with an opportunity to learn alongside these children. We have all gained a profound degree of purpose, excitement, and pride. Most importantly, we have gained yet another reason to love our school.