Letter of Introduction

Students,

Hello! My name is Ms. Bluhm and I will be working with you in Ms. Linder’s classes for the next several weeks. I am currently a student at the University of Illinois here in Champaign-Urbana and in my last semester of my undergraduate studies. I am pursuing a major in English and a minor in Secondary Education. To complete my student teaching required for certification (and also to get some great professional experience), I will be working at Uni High for the first half of the semester and then moving on to Jefferson Middle School in Champaign.

Though I’ve lived in Champaign-Urbana for the better part of the last four years while earning my degree, I did not grow up in the area. I am from a northwest suburb of Chicago and still return to the area frequently to visit my family. I have an older brother who also attended the University of Illinois and a younger sister who is currently in eighth grade.

I love to read and write. Between my completing my English coursework and pursuing these interests outside of school, much of my time is taken up with literary activities. Academically, I recently finished my senior thesis on Jeffrey Eugenides’s Middlesex and Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, arguing for an intertextual link that imagines non-normative sexuality as social monstrosity. Over winter break, my sister convinced me to read Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight (with which I’m sure many of you are familiar); I consequently bought and read the latter three books in the series. As you can see, the range of my literary interests is wide and non-discriminatory. I also love to discuss and analyze literature and look forward to hearing what you have to say, whether your contemplations are on in-class readings or outside texts that excite you. I even love grammar (yes, really). English is truly my calling and my love, and I hope that truth is evident in our interactions this semester.

My involvement here at Uni will be a learning experience for us both. It is my hope that I will be able to challenge you and ignite your literary curiosity. And, in turn, it is my expectation that you will challenge my thinking with regard to both literature and teaching. I believe that we will learn best from each other with open lines of communication. For that reason, I hope you will feel comfortable coming to me with any questions, concerns, comments, etc. about course material or classroom proceedings.

Again, I am genuinely excited for all that this semester has in store for us. I look forward to meeting you all on Monday; however, if you’d like to introduce yourself before then, feel free to shoot me an email!

Thanks in advance for a wonderful experience.

Sincerely,

Ms. Bluhm