A new teacher has come up with a lesson plan in an effort to relate more to the children she teaches. Kyle Schwartz is a third grade teacher in Denver, Colorado, and her “I Wish My Teacher Knew” lesson has provided some eye-opening insight into the minds of her students.
She told ABC News:
Ninety-two percent of our students qualify for free and reduced lunch. As a new teacher, I struggled to understand the reality of my students’ lives and how to best support them. I just felt like there was something I didn’t know about my students.
In the activity, she asked her third graders to write down a thought that they would like her to know about them. She allowed it to be anonymous; however, she found that most of the students shared their names and enjoyed sharing their thoughts with the class.
She said:
Even when what my students are sharing is sensitive in nature, most students want their classmates to know. [Source]
Schwartz teaches at a school where many of the children live in poverty, as indicated by 92 percent of the children there qualifying for free and reduced lunch. She takes that fact very seriously, saying:
I care deeply about each and every one of my students and I don’t want any of them to have to suffer the consequences of living in poverty, which is my main motivation for teaching.
After receiving the extremely honest notes and seeing the impact the lesson had on her class, she took to Twitter, sharing the notes to encourage other teachers to do the same.
Had my students write "I wish my teacher knew___" It's a reality check. #edchat #fellowschat pic.twitter.com/8vFUZqQnu0
— Kyle Schwartz (@kylemschwartz) March 28, 2015
#iwishmyteacherknew she gives too much homework #edchat pic.twitter.com/YrIeUMK4ZK
— Kyle Schwartz (@kylemschwartz) April 9, 2015
#iwishmyteacherknew sometimes my reading log isn't signed because my mom is not around a lot #edchat pic.twitter.com/mUsm4zRdKc
— Kyle Schwartz (@kylemschwartz) April 6, 2015
#iwishmyteacherknew how much I miss my dad since he got deported #edchat #ImmigrationReform pic.twitter.com/yUK0FCwwiO
— Kyle Schwartz (@kylemschwartz) April 6, 2015
#iwishmyteacherknew I don't have a friend to play with me. Honest answers from kids #edchat pic.twitter.com/5H0EPgRzPQ
— Kyle Schwartz (@kylemschwartz) April 6, 2015
Building community in my classroom is a major goal of this lesson. After one student shared that she had no one to play with at recess, the rest of the class chimed in and said, ‘we got your back.’ The next day during recess, I noticed she was playing with a group of girls. Not only can I support my students, but my students can support each other. [Source]
It wasn’t long until other teachers were also posting their students’ #IWishMyTeacherKnew notes as well.
#IWishMyTeacherKnew that I worry because mom is getting sick…
#fourthgrade pic.twitter.com/kNhu5gp9DA
— Dawn King (@dawnkingCCPS) April 14, 2015
#IWishMyTeacherKnew that I think I have depression… so real to her. #fourthgrade pic.twitter.com/GVvdVPMA6P
— Dawn King (@dawnkingCCPS) April 14, 2015
#iwishmyteacherknew we need fun and fresh air for our brain cells pic.twitter.com/kGMF3pfed8
— Cassie Norsworthy (@mrsnorsworthy) April 14, 2015
"I wish my teacher knew…" Middle school ST responses. WOW! Heartfelt, honest, powerful. #iwishmyteacherknew pic.twitter.com/x6munGKHiT
— Rebecca Shoniker (@writingrebecca) April 14, 2015
Remember they aren't just students…They are KIDS who deal with a lot as they grow up. #iwishmyteacherknew pic.twitter.com/sBR0N7Lhu9
— Steve Mefford (@Meffscience) April 12, 2015
Bravo to Schwartz and other teachers like her. They are not only learning more about their students, they are teaching these kids a valuable lesson about tolerance and understanding that will likely last a lifetime. Everyone has struggles. We often fail to recognize those struggles, but when faced with the knowledge – most respond with love and kindness.
We need more of that in our world.
Featured image via Twitter
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