One teacher gave her fifth graders a homework assignment and got more than she bargained for.
She asked them to fill in an answer after the prompt "What I wish my teacher would know…" The kids responded with powerful confessions about their lives outside of school.
Like the little boy who responded to a similar assignment with his heartbreaking feelings about having autism, the fifth graders responded with some staggering confessions.
The teacher, Elle Deal, wrote online about her experience. After she collected the assignment, she realized many of her young students had used the space to discuss scary or distressing parts of their lives.
Instead of bottling up things that were hard to talk about, the kids wrote all their feelings down for Deal's powerful assignment. They told her about trouble at home, challenges with siblings, and parents who argue all the time.
Deal quickly realized her small homework assignment had let kids open up in a way they could never do in front of the class, or in front of their parents. This is why teachers and good education matter so much!
Scroll through to read her full post below.
Elle Deal's words, which were posted to Love What Matters, became a major internet sensation.
Thousands of people reacted to her powerful post, more than 12,000 shared it, and nearly 1,000 people commented with their own experiences of having honest conversations with kiddos.
The response to her words proves how important it is for kids to have a trusted adult to confide in when things aren't going well at home.
Deal writes:
On Friday I did an activity with my 5th graders where they wrote a short blurb entitled
"I wish my teacher would know…"
These are just few that stuck out to me:
Kid 1: I wish my teacher would know, my dad is in jail and I haven’t seen him in years.
Kid 2: I wish my teacher would know, I don't always eat dinner because my mom works and I don't know how to work the stove.
Kid 3: I wish my teacher would know, my sister sleeps in the same bed as me and sometimes she wets the bed and that’s why I smell funny.
Kid 4: I wish my teacher would know that I don't always have sneakers for gym class because my brothers and I share one pair.
Kid 5: I wish my teacher would know I like coming to school because it's quiet here, not like my house with all the yelling.
We spend so much time talking and judging what we think we know… we need to ask more questions and spend more time listening.
We also need to shift our mindset and see things from other people's perspective. Give more than we get. Live to serve and to help make a difference in others lives.
Let's leave this life a little better than we found it.
Deal's beautiful words are an important reminder to people of all ages. Never judge anyone, because you don't know what they're going through.
Also, always lend a listening ear. You never know when someone might need to let you in on what's going on at home.
If you love this powerful story about an awesome teacher who is always there for her kids, be sure to SHARE with friends and family!
