The Letters

Writing

December 5, 2010

Dear Mr. Smith,                                                                       

You were my sixth grade English teacher and you’re the reason why I love to write. Before middle school my teachers never really gave me a good reason to write. To them writing was just something you had to know to past a test. Writing was nothing more then a means to a pay check but you showed me so much more. The first day in your class you asked us to write for ten minutes about why we need to be able to write. If we couldn’t think of something then you told us to just write “I don’t know what to write.” The first line of my paper was “So I can get a job,” and then everything after was “I don’t know what to write.”

When the ten minutes were up we passed our papers to the front of the room and then you read some. You didn’t read off the names but as soon as I heard the words “To get a job,” I knew you picked mine to be one of them. Lucky enough my paper wasn’t the only one that sounded like that. No teacher had taught us what the meaning of writing was. After reading them you told us that we would spend the first six weeks learning what the word writing meant. Half the class sighed but I jumped in my seat with bliss. I wanted to know so badly what writing truly was about and you were going to teach me.

Those first few weeks were amazing. I learned that I had a real knack for writing. I soon fell in love with writing process. Whenever you gave us our weekly homework I would have mine done the same night ready to be turned in on Friday. At the end of the first six weeks you asked us again to write for ten minutes about what writing was. I wrote for those ten minutes straight, my soul pouring out onto the pages. At the end of the ten minutes I had three pages wrote out. Again, you read my paper out to class and so many of the students were amazed by my paper. You took my paper and used it to make a poster to hang in the class room about what writing meant and the rules for meaningful writing. I know you still have it hanging in the classroom because when I went to visit you a few months ago I saw it.

You took the time to teach us how writing can be helpful in our lives. I use writing every day to deal with my pain. I believe that without it I would not of made it this far. In fact, you inspired me to write this. When I went to visit to you were teaching the class about letters. You talked about how letters are more then a means of talking but a way of expressing emotions. You said and I quote “You can’t see the person and the person can’t see you, so when you write a letter you most put all emotions into it so the reader feels as if they can see you in person.” You then asked the students to take ten minutes to write a letter to someone and asked them to use emotions. That afternoon I left your class to go buy a notebook before meeting up with my friend Zoe. I had a plan to express my emotions to the people who I couldn’t face to face. I wrote my first letter that night to my best friend Zoe. I put so much emotion into it because I want her to understand my pain.

Each time I write a letter I try to go deeper and deeper. I know I will not be around when these letters are read so I need the reader to feel my emotions. I want her to feel as if she is talking to me face to face.

I have you to thank for this. I know that as I write these letters I am releasing the pain and I will be able to move on in peace. My love of writing will go with me over to the next life. Maybe then I will b able to follow my dream of becoming a published author. You gave me that dream in sixth grade. When you said that we could be anything that we wanted as long as we loved it I knew I wanted to be an author. I love writing. It is a love that I owe to you. Thank you Mr. Smith for everything you have done for me. I will not forget you.

Keep teaching what the true meaning of writing is to the young people.

Love, Summer