The First Quarter Challenge
Join me in sending just two positive emails each week during the first quarter of the school year — a small investment with huge returns for classroom culture.
A few years ago, I decided to set a goal for myself during the first quarter of the school year: I would send at least two positive emails at the end of every week.
The subject of these emails? Specific students who’d “gotten something right” in class that week, whether it was as simple as sharing a snack with a hungry peer or as significant as submitting a short story for publication in a magazine.
Depending on how students had responded to a beginning-of-the-year survey question (What adults in your life are eager to celebrate your successes?), I’d take about five minutes to email their parents, family members, coaches, religious leaders, and/or other influential adults to acknowledge their efforts and achievements.
Here’s an example. (Names have been changed to protect privacy.)
Subject: Luis is off to a great start in English.
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Martinez,
My name is Rachel Thune Real, and I have the pleasure of learning alongside Luis in Junior English this year. I’m reaching out to let you know how impressed I’ve been with Luis’ reading growth after just three weeks in class: he just finished his third independent reading book, a significant achievement for a student who told me he only read one book for fun last year! I’m excited about his increased motivation, and I’m looking forward to seeing what else he accomplishes in our class this semester.
Sincerely,
Rachel
Most of the replies I’ve received over the years have been exceptionally positive, especially from parents whose students “fly under the radar” at school or have been labeled “troublemakers” in their classes. In fact, I’ve even had parents question whether I’d contacted the correct family (“Are you sure you’re talking about our Julia?”).
In addition to recognizing so-called “middle-of-the-road” or “challenging” students, I’ve also made a point to send emails about students whose exceptional academic performance has been so consistent that it’s come to be expected rather than celebrated. I’ve found that the parents of these “high-achieving” students receive about as little communication as the parents of “middle-of-the-road” students — which means that teachers are missing out on valuable opportunities to reinforce the dispositions and skills they want all their students to develop.
If you’re like me, then the first quarter of your school year tends to be the craziest: you’re still trying to memorize names, submit attendance on time, and remember the bell schedule after a summer break without hourly alarms. But by taking a moment to send these emails to the “influential adults” in your students’ lives, you’re communicating that you…
Pay attention.
You know what your students are learning and how they treat each other, and you listen and respond to their strengths and needs. You “catch them doing good” and pause to acknowledge that success.
Celebrate progress over perfection.
You celebrate students’ gains, whether big, small, or somewhere in between. You “walk the talk” about growth mindset, or the idea that everyone (including teachers) can improve their knowledge and skills. You support and admire self-determination instead of demanding compliance. You realize that students’ achievements can involve academics and social-emotional learning.
Prioritize developing relationships.
You care deeply about the individual students in your room and acknowledge their unique knowledge, skills, and interests. You learn about their lives inside and outside of school and empower them to connect their experiences to their learning. You see them as human beings with limitless potential rather than data points with “achievement gaps” or “behavioral challenges,” and you demonstrate this perception by learning alongside them.
Recognize that learning happens in community.
You understand the importance of extending students’ learning beyond the walls of your classroom by engaging the wider community. You seek the involvement of other adults in your students’ growth as learners and people, and you value their insight into your students’ lives.
Ultimately, by allotting just 5–10 minutes each week to email students’ parents, family members, coaches, religious leaders, or other important adult influences in their lives, you’re communicating a powerful message about the types of people you’re helping your students to become: those who are kind, persistent, creative, collaborative, curious, honest, empathetic, and innovative. People who see learning not as an end in itself, but a means to a purposeful and fulfilling life — one of the most pressing needs of American adults in the twenty-first century.
With my next school year starting in just three weeks, I’m gearing up for another First Quarter Challenge. Will you join me? (And if you do, please leave a comment about your experience!)
