A good teacher is attuned to her students needs in a really unique way. Since they spend approximately six hours a day with their class, in elementary school, they get to wear many hats when interacting. At times other than the teacher hat, they take on a parental role and other times a friend with good listening skills.
Kyle Schwartz is a third-grade teacher who cares very much about the kids she teaches. Her students are primarily of Hispanic background, whose parents are the working poor. She wanted to provide an outlet for these children to confide in her about personal things, without feeling ashamed or put on the spot.
Kyle came up with a writing exercise that would allow them to express themselves, anonymously, if they wanted to. She asked them to complete the sentence: “I wish my teacher knew…”. The responses that she received were quite revealing of the turmoil they experience everyday in their young lives.
She posted some of their answers on Twitter without their names. It is heart-wrenching to hear such young children carrying overwhelming emotional burdens. This exercise gives us all a window into the lives of children who feel neglected or abandoned.
Such unburdening can be very helpful in starting a conversation that can both support children and parents. It was quite a wake-up call for this new teacher. Let us know your thoughts and feelings after viewing the video below.
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