Apology letter
By Denise
@petatonicsca (7070)
Japan
February 24, 2016 2:43am CST
One of the little kids got in trouble in my class yesterday for kicking and hitting people. I told his classroom teacher and this morning she had him give me the letter of apology he had to write to me yesterday. (He had to apologize to the ones he had kicked, too.) He read it out loud to me, said "Will you please forgive me" and I said, "Yes, I forgive you, now next time you come to my class I hope I can tell your teacher how fantastic you were. I promise that I will send her an email about you being fantastic."
I hope that having to write a letter of apology will help him change his behavior and his heart. We shook hands and gave each other a high five.
Do you think making a student write a letter of apology is a good tactic to help them learn good behavior?
10 people like this
12 responses
@petatonicsca (7070)
• Japan
24 Feb 16
The letter idea never occurred to me but sometimes the classroom teachers deal with problems that way. I like it because it makes them think.
2 people like this
@petatonicsca (7070)
• Japan
24 Feb 16
It will probably take a while for him to remember not to do it.
@petatonicsca (7070)
• Japan
24 Feb 16
I hope his good behavior will extend into the future.
1 person likes this
@mademoiselle_Ayla (42)
•
24 Feb 16
I also think it's a good idea, especially the part when you said that you will say how fantastic he was in your class. I think he will do all it takes to impress you so you can say how he's a good boy :D
1 person likes this
@petatonicsca (7070)
• Japan
24 Feb 16
Exactly. We try everything and hope something will stick.
1 person likes this
@OKennedy (1130)
• United States
25 Feb 16
@petatonicsca you won't know if you don't try and at least you are trying which is more than most people can say
@kaka135 (14916)
• Malaysia
24 Feb 16
I think if the kid is willing to do that, and even read it out loud, then it'll be good. But sometimes if the kid is forced but not really willing to do so, then he might not think he has done something not right and he might not learn as well.
I like what you said to the kid as well, I guess the encouragement makes the kid feel good and he will behave better. 
@youless (112163)
• Guangzhou, China
2 Mar 16
I don't know whether it is a good idea to make students write a letter of apology will help them behave better. For example, my son sometimes will speak in the classroom, especially he finds some interesting topics. And the teacher will ask him to write a letter to promise not to do it again. And then he has to give me this letter and I have to sign on it. Sometimes I will feel pressure to it. As I don't know whether it can really be helpful. And how can he promise not to do it again? It is not easy for a little boy to zip his mouth all the time.
@kataomoi (708)
• Japan
25 Feb 16
What grade do you teach and did all of this happen in English? I teach JHS and those kids never apologize unless we call their parents. When they do apologize, it's because they're forced to and don't really mean it.
At my JHS if it comes to calling one's parents, it's not something that needs an apology. It's more like "you full on assaulted someone and you should be sent to jail".
@petatonicsca (7070)
• Japan
25 Feb 16
I teach elementary and middle school music at a K-12 international school in English. This was a first grader.
@petatonicsca (7070)
• Japan
25 Feb 16
Update: he was fantastic 50% of the time today and somewhat not great the other 50%. But he didn't hit anyone. That was good.
1 person likes this
@whiteream (8567)
• United States
26 Feb 16
Yes, I do because it helps them to understand what they did wrong better.
