"I Wish My Teacher Knew" Lesson Plan Reveals Children's Heartbreaking Confessions

[n2doc]

by LILY HARRISON

Kyle Schwartz is a third grade teacher at Doull Elementary School in Denver, and she's single-handedly changing the way students communicate in classrooms around the country.

After teaching for three years, Schwartz began to realize that many of her kids, while wonderful at school, faced multiple obstacles at home.

"Ninety-two percent of our students qualify for free or reduced lunch," she told ABC News. "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."

That's when Schwartz devised a new lesson plan dubbed "I Wish My Teacher Knew," which involved kids writing notes to her detailing things that they wanted her to know about their lives.

"I let students determine if they would like to answer anonymously. I have found that most students are not only willing to include their name, but also enjoy sharing with the class. Even when what my students are sharing is sensitive in nature, most students want their classmates to know," Schwartz explained.

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http://www.eonline.com/news/647501/i-wish-my-teacher-knew-lesson-plan-reveals-children-s-heartbreaking-confessions

[LWolf]

1. Teachers know

that our students, of all ages, are often facing overwhelming stresses at home. Sometimes we know the particulars. Sometimes we don't.

Teachers know and live Maslow's hierarchy in the face of high-stakes testing demands that put constantly increasing pressure on chools, teachers and students. We don't support it. Voters do. They keep electing people who support increasing stress at school while gutting safety nets for families in crisis.

I'm glad this teacher has put a spotlight on this situation.