Really Get to Know Your Students: A Reprise

“Before you touch your syllabus, touch your students’ hearts.”  Curtis Chandler wrote this in a "Middle Web" blog post, and it made sense.  You can’t teach children—truly teach them—without getting to know them.

In my September 18, 2022, post called “Really Get to Know Your Students,” I explained my letter-writing tradition. I believe this letter did exactly what Curtis Chandler meant. I wrote to them, telling them things about myself, being vulnerable, trusting them with information. Then, I asked them to do the same. I promised that I would not share their letters with anyone else. I kept my promise. It worked. For years.

I repeated this letter-writing tradition, even when I taught students for multiple years in a row. Of course, their letters were not true introductions; they were really updates.

Last August (2025), I received four letters from students that had moved on to high school. They had written to me for three years already, and in their words, the school year couldn’t begin without a letter to Mrs. Tisch. They followed our usual format. I was truly touched.

Read more about this practice in "Really Get to Know Your Students."

This year, before you do anything else, build trust with your students. Be vulnerable. Trust them with information. And ask them to do the same. Then, promise not to share the letters with anyone, and keep that promise. This letter-writing activity will build classroom culture and trust better than any getting-to-know-you game.

Have a great school year.