As part of a lesson about civic responsibility, many teachers encourage their students to participate in letter-writing campaigns to Congress, the school board, the Mayor, or other public figures. (Thanks to the efforts of second-graders in Mission, Texas, for example, Texans can now proudly refer to tortilla chips and salsa as their official “state snack.”)
Meanwhile, this teacher in Ypsilanti, Michigan enlisted her 18 middle-school students in a cause even closer to home — her home, that is — by getting them each to write a persuasive letter asking her noisy neighbor to curb his all-night partying.
![Dear Neighbor, Please Do not blast any music while my teacher is trying to sleep. If she doesn't get any sleep we won't be able to learn. And I will get in trouble with my parents. Please stop for the sake of my education. Sincerely, [redacted] student](http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6162/6200529742_4e7b51c3cf_o.jpg "Dear Neighbor, Please Do not blast any music while my teacher is trying to sleep. If she doesn't get any sleep we won't be able to learn. And I will get in trouble with my parents. Please stop for the sake of my education. Sincerely, [redacted] student")
related: An indignant middle-schooler speaks up
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62 responses so far ↓
#1
Rat Liz
wow, as a member of the Ypsilanti community i am sorry. and as soon as i can figure out where this lady lives i am going stand out side her house in a trench coat and blast some Peter Gabriel
Oct 6, 2011 at 9:01 pm rating: 52
#2
lagne
That’s kinda funny… until I think about it.
Then I think about what I’d feel if I, as a parent, discovered that my kid’s teacher had indirectly involved him/her in a dispute occurring in Teacher’s personal life….
All I’m sayin is I hope s/he erased the names – first and last – from all of those papers. And that s/he’s never my kid’s teacher.
Oct 6, 2011 at 9:02 pm rating: 42
#3
fuzzbutt
I think i know who this teacher is…..
Oct 6, 2011 at 9:04 pm rating: 2
#4
Ed.D.
This is inappropriate on so many levels. Bad teacher! Bad!
Oct 6, 2011 at 9:05 pm rating: 15
#5
qua
P.S. Either stop this loud noise or my teacher will beat the living crap out of you and bring all your brew to school !
Oct 6, 2011 at 9:10 pm rating: 7
#6
Sarah H
Oh lighten up, that’s hilarious! Good for her. I’d think that was adorable if it was my kid, as long his/her grammar and spelling are correct, it’s all good.
Oct 6, 2011 at 9:26 pm rating: 39
#7
kat
I really don’t think she’s wrong for doing this. Many people don’t respect each other. She’s just trying to Getty a point across to the damn neighbor. What’s so wrong having your students write a little letter. I know I wouldn’t be upset or anything if I was one of the kids’ parents.
Oct 6, 2011 at 9:40 pm rating: 13
#8
Dave
“If she dosen’t get any sleep we won’t be able learn.”
Wow. This guy better quit partying, these kids can’t write/spell for crap!
Oct 6, 2011 at 10:13 pm rating: 16
#9
Nahhh
Still printing in middle school. {shakes head}
Oct 6, 2011 at 10:51 pm rating: 5
#10
Somebody Else
Wow. Just Wow. This takes passive-aggressive to a whole new level. Which is intellectually kind of cool and emotionally terrifying at the very same time.
I think that a parent using their kids to manipulate their own parents (as in, “you’ll never see your grand kids again”) is worse than this, but perhaps only slightly.
And if it doesn’t work, “Teach” could always take an ad out in the paper, eh?
Serious abuse of power if you ask me. And what great PAN lessons s/he is giving to all those kids. Shudder.
Oct 7, 2011 at 2:02 am rating: 6
#11
Canthz_B
That’s one quick-thinking teacher.
When (as a student) I fell asleep in class, it never occurred to me to blame the neighbor…much less ask the class to start a letter-writing campaign.
To be awakened from her slumbers at the head of the class and pull that one off is nothing short of amazing!
Oct 7, 2011 at 3:10 am rating: 13
#12
GhostWriter
Teacher sleeps in class: Neighbors’ fault
Student sleeps in class: Whiteboard eraser to the head
Oct 7, 2011 at 9:16 am rating: 16
#13
GhostWriter
Ahh, early middle school! Fifth grade, tops. Before children start realizng that:
(a) Teachers have little effect on your actual “learning”.
(b) Teachers do not want you to be a part of their life away from the classroom.
Oct 7, 2011 at 9:29 am rating: 1
#14
Gen
I have a kid in an Ypsi middle school, and I’d think it was hilarious if this were one of her assignments – provided the letters were either 1) not actually given to the neighbor, or 2) the names were taken off before being delivered to said neighbor. In fact, I kind of wish this teacher could be the replacement for the one who just quit at her school. I’d also like to see it properly marked & graded for grammar, punctuation, and originality.
Oct 7, 2011 at 10:31 am rating: 11
#15
Lorel
I would be pissed if my kid had to write this letter.
Oct 7, 2011 at 11:46 am rating: 5
#16
Quite Contrary
State snack? Oh, thank god Texas was able to achieve bipartisan agreement to establish that critical public policy.
Oct 7, 2011 at 12:52 pm rating: 19
#17
M.E.B.
If I was a parent of one (or more) of those kids, I would be furious over some teacher dragging my child(ren) into her passive-agressive BS.
Especially since, she did not erase the names on the letters, and they obviously got sent to someone. (Since I don’t see the teacher posting this herself. )
Oct 7, 2011 at 11:35 pm rating: 2
#18
Army of Words
I actually think this is cute. I’m surprised to see so many people butthurt over it. I highly doubt she gave them to her neighbor and even if she did, it looks like she had them sign the letters “Blank’s Student.” (Yes, I can see some names on the other papers, but those could be from other assignments. The paper on top has no name) It’s not like she was having them write letters to her ex, it was a noisy neighbor.
Oct 8, 2011 at 12:13 pm rating: 2
#19
Frankenstien
FAKE. Look at the handwriting. The note especially, but the ethnic name “Delavain” on the second paper?! Come on.
F. A. K. E
Oct 9, 2011 at 3:04 pm rating: 0
#20
Niki
when I was in 3rd grade we did a hypothetical exercise like this so that we could learn to be polite when writing to someone. I think this must’ve been a manners lesson for the students, at least I hope thats what it was
Oct 10, 2011 at 12:30 am rating: 0
#21
pdx_reader
The important thing here is that somewhere in America there is a Middle School classroom with only 18 students. I’m moving to Ypisilanti.
Oct 11, 2011 at 1:40 pm rating: 3
#22
Um
Ypsilanti is a college town. If she doesn’t want to live next to someone blasting music all night she should probably not live within the city limits of Ypsilanti or Ann Arbor…just sayin’
Oct 12, 2011 at 10:35 pm rating: 0
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