What if you had to apply to be in the fourth grade?
Students in Meg Richards’ class took wondering about that a few steps further, when Richards assigned them to write cover letters aimed at convincing her they were ideal candidates for a spot in her classroom.
Cameron Wildfeuer recognizes that when the teacher is talking, “it is my time to listen.” And he can read, he pointed out, “because I have learned, over the years, what kind of characters (letters) are.”
Kaylee Harder noted her “good eye contact, even when I was younger,” plus her clear handwriting and her ability to learn quickly.
The project exercised students’ skills in persuasive and thesis writing, and included mock interviews. “I wanted them to reflect on what made them a good student, and they had to sell themselves,” Richards pointed out.
The lesson also served as an introduction to informative and five-paragraph essay writing.
