Mr.

Michael McLean
Email: herrikudo@gmail.com
Phone (classroom): (480) XXX-XXXX Ext. XX
Hello Parents/Guardians!
I am Mr. McLean, and I will be your childs History Teacher this year. This is my ___
year teaching, and I am excited to begin another year. I have my BA from Arizona State
University in Secondary Education, with a focus in history, and an AAS in History. History is my
passion, I love to teach it as much as I love working with students each and every year. As with
every class, I try to start the year by giving my students an understanding of how I view history,
and why I chose to teach it.
We, as a society and a species, can say that we know so much about various historical
topics through historical documents, artifacts, archeology, and firsthand accounts, and yet in
reality we truly know nothing at all. History is a matter of perspective, how an individual person
views an event as it unfolds greatly effects the story they tell as they recount the events.
It is not unlike how we view music; how one person interprets a song playing on the
radio will more than likely be entirely different from the stranger listening to it elsewhere. In
short, my goal is to give your student an understanding of that variance, and to help them find the
middle way between truth and interpretation. As well as allowing them to interpret the
information given to them in their own way, without deviating from the facts as we know them.
In other words, I have no intention of telling them This is how it happened, there is no other
truth in the matter.
Your role in this process is to simply be involved. This is a matter that hits home for
parents of all kinds, this is your student. I would never expect my child to go through school
without being somewhat informed of what they will be doing, who is responsible for monitoring
progress, and how they are actually progressing. I have attached a sheet for your contact
information, including a check box asking if you would like me to keep you informed once a
month on your students progress and grade standing in my class. This sheet MUST be returned
with your signature, this will count as the first homework assignment for my class.

Moving forward, I have high expectations for your student. I expect all assignments to be
turned in on time, with a focus on quality over quantity. That said, I understand that life happens,
even in high school. I forgive one minor missed assignment (e.g. lower point value homework &
classwork), beyond that, I expect makeup work for partial credit. All projects and papers must be
completed; my class values these assignments far more. At the end of the day, their success is
purely up to them. I will push them forward as much as I possibly can, their success is my final
goal, as I can only hope you as their parent/guardian would expect.
For further details, assignment details with rough due dates, and further information on
my teaching philosophies, please see the attached syllabus. If you have any questions, feel free to
contact me at the above email or phone number, I will be more than happy to speak with you
directly! I will contact you with any and all concerns regarding your student as we progress
through the year. I look forward to teaching your student, and getting to know all of you!
All the best,

Michael McLean