Dear Teacher Zach...

A few weeks ago, I was inspired by the note giver to create a lesson plan for my students revolving around them writing letters to me. I told my students that they should write me a letter about themselves and that could write anything they wanted and ask me any questions they wanted. I read them a brief example, and then gave them 20 minutes to work their magic.

The letters my students gave me were really amazing. Most of them followed a simple pattern to the tune of, "Dear Teacher Zach, My name is... I am 12 years old. I live in China. Your class is interesting. Will you be my friend?" But, some of the letters I got were really unique. They ranged from quirky, to interesting, to depressing, to ass-kissing, to laugh out loud funny. It was a very revealing week concerning the lives of my students and it was also one of my favorite lessons this year.

After working my way through a stack of nearly 1100 letters (picture on the left), I decided to share some of my favorites with you below. Note that I've left the letters in their original form and haven't corrected any grammar or spelling. However, I've added a few comments to the letters illustrating things that might not otherwise be apparent. The comments I've made appear in parenthetical statements and are italicized. When reading, remember that my students are pretty young and most of them haven't studied English for very long. Enjoy! (I know I did.)


Dear Teacher Zach:
Last week, I meet a boy. I'm really suprised, because he looks like my favorite boy friend. I found I love he. I think he is very cool and kindly. But he doesn't like me. he likes another girl. I'm very sad. I don't know why. Do you like a girl when you are a student?

Your friend.
Marcia

Dear Teather zach:
I like some fruit. The apples is my favorit fruit. How about you? I love you never!

Your student: Zhang Bo

Dear teacher Zarck:
My name is Trangle. I look like is (Whatever was written here was erased with whiteout). Maybe I can as an actor. My favorit sports is tennis and swim. How about you? I think maybe you like golf.
Can I ask you something? What girl's style do you like? The cute girls or the other. Haha! Maybe you can't answer.

Your Dear student: Xu YingDear

Teacher Zach.
My name's is Wang-Zhixiong. I am 13 years old. I have a red glasses. I have a short, straight black hair. I really like your class, because in your class, I feel so happy. I think you is a good teacher. In our school, I think anyone both like you! My favorite subject is English and P.E. They are fun! How about you? Do you like sports? What is your favorite sports and subject? And, what is your favorite color?

Your friend,
Wang Zhixiong :)

Dear Teacher Zach
I am a new student in the class. I think your class is very interesting, in your class we needn't write a lot of things and sometimes we can take games.
You say you are a volunteer. I think it is very cool. I will be a volunteer when I grow up

Your student
Liu Hao

Dear Zach,
My name is Addison. Can you give me so many money? I love money very much. Do you love me? I'm very interesting

Your's
Addison

Dear Teacher Zach,
First, I will say. I'm very happy to know you. I'm a student in class 15 (One of my most advanced classes). My Chinese name is Li Xinyi. and my English name is Lily. It's a very beautiful name from a flower.
I like English and watching movies. Do you like movies? My favorite movie is The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. I think it is a very good movie. Shakespeare is my favorite writer. (Wow, a student after my own heart.) I like he's book "King Lear". Do you know it. I holp you like Shakespeare.
At last. I holp you happy every day.

Your friend.
Lily.

Dear Teacher Zach,
My English name is Catherine. I'm very like your class, because it's fun, and not boring. The Tuo Fat is delicious, right? (Tou Fat is a Chinese popsicle-like thing made of small cubes of flavored gelatin and is sold at the school store. I love it and eat it nearly every day.) And the green tea is great! (I also drink a lot of bottled green tea.) I like you, because you are very handsome and kind.
I really like skating, how about you? I think, Chinese children are very buzy and tired. Are the American children like us?
I'll tell you a secret, I am very adore you!

Your friend,
Catherine

Dear Teacher zach,
My name is Tan zhe shu. I'm 12 years old. I'm from Changsha. In 1995, I come world. I like play football. My favorite movie is..., oh I don't have a favorite movie. I like green.

Tan zhe shu

Dear Teacher zach,
You is very cute, but hard have very freckles, and very muscular.
Frend zuo Quan

Dear Teacher Zach,
I am a girl in class 16. I have an English name that is Betty, and my Chinese name is------ (She wrote her name in Chinese characters here and I'm sad to say that I can't read it or reproduce it). I really love your class very much. I think you are interesting and a little cute. You beard is too long, you must cut (I had about a week's worth of stubble on my face at the time). Do you think so? If you cut your beard, it will make you more handsome. Um. this idea is perfect.
At last, I'll ask you some questions. Are you have a wife, if answer is "Yes", I hope you are all well. What kind of music do you like best? What class do you like best? Can you tell me the different in Chinese children and American children? Which one do you love?
Ok! This letter is so long. Bye-bye!

Your student
Betty

Dear Teacher Zach,
I'm from class 5, grade 7. You're also forget me, my name in Chinese is "xue ze ze", and in English is "Paul silver xystus". I think you are cool, I meet so many American teacher. but you are best of them. You are from America. I think America is a very very nice country, I want to go there, because my father is be gone there and take a photo and video, I want go there! And I like UK too! I like the movie of there--"Harry Potter", "Mr.Bean." Remeber me, zach! I'm in class 5, "Paul. silver. xystus." you can call me "paul".
Remeber me, Zach!! (Ok, I promise I won't forget Paul.)

Your friend--
paul. class 5.

Dear Mr. Zach,
Hello, my name is kelly, I am your student, I very like your teach way, we all like you.
Chinese students are very busy, they are study every day, every month, every year, and they have lots of homework and lots of classes. Saturday and Sunday they can't go ant play, they can only study in home, I think we are poor, we are all don't like teacher. Why don't we like teacher? Because they usually give us lost of homework and often don't like us, then, Why do we like you? Because you to us very good, and donte give us homework, so we are all like you.
By the way, we are all think you are handsome too!

your friend,
Kelly

Dear Zach,
I am your student in Class 16, Grade 7. my English name is Will hawkers. I'm the tallest boy in class! Can you remember? I want to be a judge. Because my father is a great judge. Even he's died. I want to be a judge. Work for people, work for country, work for justice! How about you? I want to know something about you.

Best wishes!
Your student: Will: Hawkers.

Dear Teacher Zach,
My name's Catherine. I'm a student in grade seven class fifteen. I like eating and sleeping very much. Maybe you think I'm very lazy. Yes, sometimes I'm very lazy, but sometimes I'm very hard. I'm a lazy and happy girl. I have two small eyes (I'm glad you aren't a Cyclops). And I have straight black hair.
My English marks are always very high. So I'm a good student. Do you like to be friends with me?

Your friend,
Catherine.

Dear Teacher zach
My name is Sue. I'm 12 years old, I like swim and play tennis. I like action movie- kiss of the dragon. I don't like carrot, Well, I look like is god, :) , I like black and white. (Yes, I suppose God does work in absolutes.)

Your friend Sue

Dear Teacher Zach,
My name is Davis. I'm 12 years old. My favorite country is Japan. Because I like Japan comic very much! I think Japanese are very kind and friendly. Japan is free, not like China. Japan's citys are clean. I like Japan's food, too. Do you like Japan? I like it very much! (Wow, this kid is a heretic. Most of my students HATE Japan and the Japanese.)

Your friend,
Davis.

Dear Teacher Zach,
My name is Lyle. I'm 13 years old. I like reading. reading is my favorite way to relax, I like reading at school, I like reading in the library and I like reading at school. As you can see, reading is a very important part of my life. I work hard at all my lessons. And I like English best. My dream is to be a English Teacher when I grow up. And I know it is not easy to learn English wear. There is a long way to go. But I work hard.

Your friend,
Lyle.

Dear Teacher Zach.
I am an outgoing boy. My name is Own. I am thirteen years old. I feel terrific lately. And how about you? How's everything going with you? Have you changed much? Or just gaining weight? (Ok, this student gets an F.) Tell me about your life. Thanks.

Your student, Owen

Dear Teacher Zach,
Do you like Chinese food? Do you like to have tea? Let me tell you something about tea. More than three hundred years ago most of the people in Europe did not know anything about tea. Once an English doctor came back from China for Christmas vacation. He gave his mother some tea as a gift...
Next, let me tell you something about myself. My name is Kobe. I'm 13. I'm from China. My parents is You Tai Ren (This is how you say "Jewish" in Chinese). If you believe me, you are a fool.

Your friend,
Kobe.

Dear Teacher Zach,
My name is Li Yang. My English name is Herakles-Advent-Isolated-Demon-Epic-Smith. (Best name EVER!) I'm 12 years old. I hate sports, so I'm a little fat. I don't like eating things which are bitter. I love Kentucky Fried Chicken. I want to be a diplomat when I grow up. Please write and tell me something about yourself soon.

Your friend,
Haides (Wow, yet another name.)

Dear Teacher Zach-
I'm Wang Monkey. I'm 14 years old. I like climbing the best. I like movie which is about monkey. I like bananas. I look like a handsome monkey. I like yellow best, because I like bananas.

Yours, Monkey.