Blinn Students Connect With Bryan ISD
3rd Graders Through Pen Pal Writing Project
Information courtesy of | Blinn College
Approximately 50 Blinn students met their Johnson Elementary School third-grade pen pals during special lunch
Clutching colorful construction paper posters, Blinn College education students waited with anticipation as smiling third graders streamed into the Johnson Elementary School cafeteria. Eyes wide, the third graders beamed as they met the Blinn students they had corresponded with all semester through letters.
The recent lunch marked the culmination of a semester-long pen pal writing project between Blinn College students and Bryan ISD third graders.
“I loved writing to my buddy throughout the semester and seeing their face light up when we met in person,” Blinn education major Olivia Tennison said. “I am honestly not sure who was more excited, my pen pal or myself! It was truly an afternoon to remember.”
The pen pal project was coordinated by Blinn Professor Ruby Garcia and Johnson Elementary’s Meghan Burchell, who teaches third grade English Language Arts.
“I used to teach at Johnson Elementary and I remembered how much I enjoyed a pen pal project when I was in college training to be a teacher,” Garcia said. “I reached out to Meghan, who’s a friend, and asked if she’d be interested in getting her students involved and she loved the idea. Her students happened to be reading a book about pen pals as part of their curriculum, so it was a perfect fit.”
Blinn students in Garcia’s Introduction to the Teaching Profession and Introduction to Special Populations courses, as well as members of Blinn-Bryan’s Future Teachers Student Organization participated in the project.
“This activity was really beneficial for our Blinn students because a core component of these courses is about how to build a relationship with your students,” Garcia said. “That’s exactly what they had to do in these letters. After introducing themselves, I told them to always ask at least three questions in each letter and from there the relationships just blossomed.”
For Burchell’s third graders, the project inspired friendship and added incentive to work on their writing skills.
“Their smiles were from ear to ear every time they got a letter from their Blinn pen pal,” said Burchell. “When they got to meet their pen pals in person, it was the most excited I have ever seen them. This project created a fun and engaging way for my students to use their writing skills, but more importantly it made them feel cared about and excited to learn.”
Blinn offers an Associate of Science in Education and two Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) options. All three degrees are designed for students to transfer to four-year bachelor’s degree programs and obtain their teacher certification. Through the RELLIS Academic Alliance, students can transition seamlessly from Blinn to Tarleton State University to earn a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Teacher Education. Additionally, Blinn has transfer partnerships with Texas A&M University and Sam Houston State University.
Through the Clear Affordable Pathways to Success (CAPS) Program, offered in partnership with the University of Houston-Victoria (UHV), education students can co-enroll at Blinn and UHV to earn their Bachelor of Science in Education – Early Childhood through Sixth Grade or Bachelor of Science in Education – Grades 4-8.
After a successful pilot year, Garcia plans to continue the pen pal project each fall semester. She believes this type of activity is a great way to help her future teachers connect with students early in Blinn’s program before they conduct their student teaching field experience.
“Sometimes what I teach in class feels very abstract,” Garcia said. “They love interacting with kids and this project really helped bring all the things that we’re learning to life.”
For more information about Blinn’s education and teaching degree offerings and partnerships, visit www.blinn.edu/teaching.
About the Blinn College District With innovative programs and award-winning co-enrollment partnerships, Blinn’s academic transfer rate ranks No. 1 among Texas community colleges. For more information, visit www.blinn.edu.