Write it Forward
An English teacher from Massachusetts was the inspiration for this activity. Writing letters is a lost art and it is extremely rare for a person to receive a hand-written letter. With a sincere effort, the recipient will appreciate the time, thought, and effort that you put into your letters. My class is completing this activity to see what type of impact the written word can have on others. The class will send out one letter a day during the remainder of the school year. Hopefully we will receive some positive feedback.
On the “writing day,” student should bring:
- PEN
- IPOD / listening device (if you choose)
- Paper
An envelope will be provided.
The class will send out letters as a class on the first day of the activity. Then for each school day, one student will be assigned to write an additional letter. ALL LETTERS will be mailed from the school. The teacher mailing the letter guarantees that it will not be lost!
A teacher may ask the student to keep a few examples of the letters as models for future classes. I am attempting to write one letter each school day during my lunch period. These letters can also serve as models. If students agree to share the letters, photocopy the letters and white out the names so ALL the letters will be anonymous.
Each letter will include a typed explanation of the assignment, a request for feedback, and a request for the person to write it forward. All the information will be passed on with each letter.
Can this work? I will keep you updated as the year progress.
Below are some format ideas:
Top line – Date, weather, time started.
The Letter – There are many different topics to write about in your letter.
Appreciation – The first focus should be appreciation. Write specifically about what is admired and appreciated in the individual. Include specific examples or anecdotes / stories whenever possible. This should be the most moving part of the letter.
What’s going on? – This can include the events that are going on in life such as work, school applications, family events, etc. Essentially write about what is going on in life.
Questions – You can ask the person you are writing to questions about what is going on in their lives.
The Closing – Finish up the letter with an appropriate closing. Reiterate what is appreciated about the person, write about how glad you are to have them in your life, or choose another option.
List the TIME OF COMPLETION after your signature.
Give your best effort and let’s see where this goes.
Below is the 2-sided handout that is included with the original letter. This page should travel with each letter
Please fill out your information below and include this page with your letter!
Letter of Appreciation: Write it Forward
In our society, we rarely acknowledge the important people and relationships in our lives. Days, weeks, months, years, and sometimes, even lives pass, without ever writing to the people who have positively impacted our lives. My class has set a goal to write letters to important people in our lives. I have selected you.
The goal of this project is to see if one letter can inspire others to “write it forward.” If you receive a letter, you are asked to take some time to write it a letter to a person you appreciate. If you are busy, just take 5 – 10 minutes to complete your letter (but if you have more time, please use it.) The only catch is you cannot send a letter to the person who sent you one. (A little like no taggsies back!) The requirements are:
- SNAIL mail or hand delivered. (No text messages, tweets, etc.)
- Hand-written if possible. If you would prefer a computer that is fine, however if you handwriting is legible, please use this method.
- PLEASE RESPOND that you have received a letter. My teacher’s email is youremail@yourschool.org. Our class is tracking the location and impact of our letters. If you could take a few moments to share your thoughts with my class that would be AWESOME!
- My teacher also mentioned a reward for the class if we receive enough responses, so if you can please spend a few minutes writing a letter to an important person in your life, we would greatly appreciate it.
Original letter sent by from YOUR TOWN, YOUR STATE to on (the date).
Letter #2 (include writer, recipient, and date)
Letter #3 (include writer, recipient, and date)
Letter #4 (include writer, recipient, and date)
Letter #5 (include writer, recipient, and date)
Letter #6 (include writer, recipient, and date)
Letter #7 (include writer, recipient, and date)
Letter #8 (include writer, recipient, and date)
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