SAMPLE EPISTLE

John Smith
625 South Federal Blvd.
Los Angeles, California 90004

Mr. Kabir’s Class
922 North Universal Avenue
Los Angeles, California 10202



Mr. Kabir’s Class:

We have all claimed our roles within the confines of classroom norms and have been shackled by stringent curriculum and standardized tests. It is now time to make a change. The classroom should not be the antithesis of the world around us. Instead, I feel, it should be an extension of our society. In many ways an ideal classroom should be a safe haven for students to express their beliefs and create relevance with the material taught. This should be done on their own terms. This will formulate an internal significance amongst students and give instructors a better understanding of how to teach important content.

Today students enter the classroom with guidelines that inhibit their natural abilities. This, in turn, does not allow students to reach their full potential and expand their horizons. Life is merely a process of events and the classroom would be a great forum to give students greater chances to show their abilities. This view was accurately expressed by Katherine Anne Porter, “Our being is subject to all the chances of life. There are so many things we are capable of, that we could be or do. The potentialities are so great that we never, any of us, are more than one-fourth fulfilled.” (Pimpton p. 14) With a classroom environment that affords students the chance to express their concerns and relate them to the material at hand, the possibilities are endless. The fabric of the relationships between student and teacher would be changed for the better. In addition, students will challenge themselves and push the limits of their capabilities.

Though, this vision looks good on paper, its implementation can be somewhat complicated. Much like any major change, stereotypes must be broken and new commonalities must be established. The first step should be to change the language of the content standards on a consistent basis. This should be done to align material with contemporary views and issues. This would serve the purpose of making the content standards more accessible to students. Thus, classroom objectives will be common knowledge and consequently open to discussion for both student and teacher. This dialogue can serve as the ideal foundation for expression and the exchanging of opinions. The result would be a class that resembles a salon, where students can grow with a sense of individual achievement.

My role would be much like the role of other students in a classroom of this nature. I would be an active citizen for the greater cause, participate in tackling real-life dilemmas, and expressing issues that I feel should be relevant to my peers. A typical day in a cooperative classroom setting would be void of petty hindrances. Instead, the leading role should be taken by the teacher to be a mediator of sorts. I goal of the instructor should be to articulate what is expected to be learned for the respective day or week. However, unlike other classes where this initial description serves as the springboard for a structured lesson, my vision of a classroom will open the doors to the imagination. The teachers task of stating objectives will provide the foundation for debate, open discussion, or random thoughts by individuals. From that point forward each class will take on a personality of its own. At this point the teachers role will be to maintain a consistent pace through the allotted class time and incorporate knowledge from the material to be taught. At first glance this model of classroom behavior may seem unsuitable for organized work such as reading, writing, or projects. However, the contrary is true. A cooperative class welcomes structured activities like any class today. However, the variance comes in the end goals of the classroom. In a typical class setting class work is merely a starting point for homework and future tests. In a classroom that encourages student expression any organized work will be directly linked to future discussions and will be related to contemporary circumstances to serve a greater cause that is relevant to the students. In the end, all this procedures are to give all learners what they truly crave, freedom. It is only with that very freedom that students can truly understand the world around them and the reasons why triumphs and failures occur around them on a daily basis, “For me, the principal fact of life is the free mind. For good and evil, man is a free creative spirit. This produces the very queer world we live in, a world in continuous creation and therefore continuous change and insecurity. A perpetually new and lively world, but a dangerous one, full of tragedy and injustice. A world in everlasting conflict between the new idea and the old allegiances, new arts and new inventions against the old establishment.” (Cooley p. 37)

As a citizen I will speak out about what I feel should be heard and bring to light issues that are relevant. However, in doing so each student should also respect their classmates and be cognizant of their learning needs. Thus, as a citizen I will not hinder the learning of my peers. Although it is important to be spontaneous and express oneself with vehemence, it is also a responsibility of each student to have substance behind their words. The goal is to be knowledgeable and formulate discussions that have an academic basis. Thus, as a citizen I will stay abreast of all current events. Reading newspapers, magazines, and following societal trends on television are one of the avenues where this objective can be accomplished. All citizens need to have an awareness of their surroundings and have a clear understanding of their place within that environment. A defined individual and societal identity is the only way citizens can bring the outside world into the class and make the connections to content seamless.

A class period is a small unit within the backdrop of the school itself. Along the same lines, a cooperative classroom that allows expression should not be limited to the two hours on a given day or five hours in a week. A classroom that encourages the expression of ideas and calls on students to research and challenge societal norms that may not be justified should also have a function that allows developed to be put into action. Thus, the class is merely the starting point of bigger and better things. In the grand scheme of things words are merely sounds that have no impact except to those who hear them. In most cases those who hear words forget the message, no matter how important. Thus, as citizens in a vibrant classroom environment we should all be supportive of our peers who want to take action with the words they speak. If a group of students points out the growing problem of homelessness in affluent areas such as Santa Monica and wants to start a food drive, it is the duty of fellow citizens to provide support and input that may aid the cause. In addition, ideas that may not be realistic or suitable should be discussed by the citizen body and placed in its proper perspective. With these ideals as the premise, the classroom will be a setting that will foster camaraderie amongst students and give them the belief that their voice is being heard.

The final step of an ideal classroom is to take positive outcomes and make them school wide norms. The goal in this regard is to transfer the idea of a cooperative and expressive class setting across content area. This all-encompassing ideal would serve the function of improving the overall learning experience for students and formulating high expectations and educational trends across the board. If this became a reality than we as students can then all be citizens for a greater cause.