"I Wish My Teacher Knew..." - One Dedicated Teacher's Inspired Assignment
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With hindsight, there are a lot of things we wish our younger selves could have had the guts and articulation to tell our teachers. The problem is that nothing we think we should have said would be as authentic as saying something, in your own words, at the time. As we grow older our world changes, our priorities change, we become more confined by the way the world works, even our language changes; the way we perceive, internalise and explain the world expands with vocabulary and contracts with confusion, we can never see the world as it was in the past. So for a teacher to hear something truly meaningful from a student, they must challenge them to express themselves in the here and now.
Social media has lifted Kyle Schwartz upon its shoulders in celebration of her foresight, as she gave her students a gentle push towards painting a picture of the world they live in.
The teacher from Denver, Colorado kindly assigned her 3rd
grade students to anonymously submit the completion of the sentence beginning “I
wish my Teacher knew….”. Now before hearing about this I assumed she would have
been flooded with entries like “…I am passionately in love with her” or “…that
homework sucks”. But in my increasing age I trivialised the real issues surrounding
8-9 year-olds, and the true results were raw, mature and sad. However through
them shines a light, their youth paired with their problems being shared means
that they have time and support on their side.
Problems like these are simple for Kyle to fix. However some can't be solved by providing a pencil, and take the care and cherishing support she has proved she's willing to provide so many times. Just getting to know the student's home lives helps her to teach and treat the student in the way they need.
Although, not all problems have to be solved by the teacher. Students who felt confident were encouraged to share their thoughts, and in this case their classmates took care of the problem all by themselves. We have been assured that this kid hasn't spent one lunchtime alone since!
This exercise is searing through the world of education, with 17 schools across America embracing the “I wish my teacher knew…” homework assignment.
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
Problems like these are simple for Kyle to fix. However some can't be solved by providing a pencil, and take the care and cherishing support she has proved she's willing to provide so many times. Just getting to know the student's home lives helps her to teach and treat the student in the way they need.
#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
Although, not all problems have to be solved by the teacher. Students who felt confident were encouraged to share their thoughts, and in this case their classmates took care of the problem all by themselves. We have been assured that this kid hasn't spent one lunchtime alone since!
#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
This exercise is searing through the world of education, with 17 schools across America embracing the “I wish my teacher knew…” homework assignment.
It’s great to see a teacher who so obviously cares about her
students. The fame of her tweets alone has brought the children an
education-full of opportunity within the space of only a few months. They have
had a book donation box designed for the school, which encourages the public to
rehome well-loved books in the arms of education, and even had a visit from
inspiring Author, Ted-Talker, and Illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka. (Below)
Just one of the best moments of my career. TY @kylemschwartz for everything! https://t.co/FrUJJgSxF9 pic.twitter.com/TUJcqiHJhb
— Jarrett J. Krosoczka (@StudioJJK) April 29, 2015
Leo Donnelly
Ever wondered what would happen if you gave a half-crazed, semi-concussed, unstoppable maverick a platform to write about social media? Follow him @LeoAtSMF
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"I Wish My Teacher Knew..." - One Dedicated Teacher's Inspired Assignment
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Thursday, April 30, 2015
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Reviewed by Unknown
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Thursday, April 30, 2015
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