Realizing she didn't understand the daily realities of her students' lives, a third grade teacher in Denver, Colorado set out on a mission to learn the issues that were top of mind to her kids. Kyle Schwartz started a lesson plan titled, "I Wish My Teacher Knew" and had each student leave her a startlingly honest note. The results? Both heart-wrenching and incredibly truthful.
"Ninety-two percent of our students qualify for free and reduced lunch," Schwartz 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."
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That is how the class activity was born was born, and it quickly spread to many other schools.
The students each submitted a note, (anonymously, if they chose to) which the teacher later shared on Twitter with the hashtag #IWishMyTeacherKnew and shows the world the touching notes her third graders left.
Take a look at some of the notes:
#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, 2015Had 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 that I worry because mom is getting sick... :( #fourthgrade pic.twitter.com/kNhu5gp9DA
— Dawn King (@dawnkingCCPS) April 14, 2015#iwishmyteacherknew that I want to go to college #edchat pic.twitter.com/pal9Y4L846
— Kyle Schwartz (@kylemschwartz) April 7, 2015The trend has now become a nation-wide activity, and multiple other schools and teachers have started the project as a way to get to know their students better.
The whole undertaking is a major reality check -- for teachers, students, and communities alike. Sometimes, we may very well not be aware of the biggest issues someone is facing, but learning about their struggles is the first step to understanding.
What do you think of the project?
Image via Kyle Schwartz/Twitter
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