The summer after my first year of teaching kindergarten, I received a short letter in the mail from a student.

Not only was it fun to receive this letter, but it was encouraging. Timothy didn't know it, but his letter served as the nudge I needed to continue my professional development that summer and see what great things I could learn for my upcoming students. His small gesture inspired me to continue the work that would help me grow instead of stall. Timothy's note helped me prevent a professional summer slide and inspired me to do the same for all the students who came after him. Since then, I have sent notes home to my students to encourage them to continue with their own growth.

In this week's tip you will find examples of the summer letters I wrote to my students and what Joan's students wrote to themselves. Although different in approach, both inspire students to continue developing their reading and writing skills, build their stamina, and develop their lifelong love of reading during the summer. 

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