We’ve written the final versions of our own hero narratives. Yesterday, I asked my students to think about those mentors and helpers who guided them along the path of that particular journey and to compose a letter to that mentor. I wanted them to thank that person and to describe all the ways that person helped them and to tell their mentor what they learned from them.

As always, once I shared my own process and letter-constructing it in front of them, off they went! There was a wide variety of mentors too: coaches, friends, parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, teachers, and one wrote to God. I’ve read all the drafts of their hero narrative and now all of their mentor letters-their words make me laugh and cry. During the actual final period, they will read a portion of their narrative to the class along with their mentor letter and this will satisfy our oral presentation standard. I cannot wait to hear the telling of these stories from their own voices.

This time of year is always difficult for me. I have such hope that they will continue to write and to cherish the writer’s notebook they’ve composed during this short time with me. I cherish all of mine. I know they’ll say hello to me in the halls next year, and many of them will eat their lunch in my room just as last year’s freshman are doing this year, but I want them to remain in my little sheltered writing space. I’ll just have to continue to pray that they find their own.