Have you ever wondered what goes on in the minds of your students? What are they thinking as they sit in class? As you greet them? When they walk out of the door and onto the next grade level?
Teaching from home gave educators insight into their home lives, but inner thoughts are an entirely different world.
I came across the book, “I Wish My Teacher Knew: How One Question Can Change Everything For Our Kids” by Kyle Schwartz when I was browsing a bookstore one weekend.
One day, Kyle Schwartz asked her students the following question: “I wish my teacher knew _____.” The answers that came back gave her a glimpse of the various realities her students were facing outside of the classroom.
I finished the book in hours, with the goal in my mind to use that prompt in my classroom the following week.
I used that prompt with my classroom one afternoon and invited the students to write responses in their writing journals.
Later that day, long after the classroom was empty and silence filled the classroom, I opened the first notebook to see what was on the page.
Glittery purple writing revealed to me that one of my students heard her parents fighting every night. She got peace through listening to music on her headphones. I now understood why she was so protective of her pink headphones in class. She often requested to listen to music to calm down on her rough days.
The next notebook, battered and ripped, had sloppy writing that told me about an older brother having issues with bullies. My student wanted to protect his sibling and felt like he was unable to do so. This explained his protective ways of his classmates.
The seventh notebook, neat and filled with doodles, stickers and cursive writing…..held sadness about the passing of a relative. This student expressed her need for wanting more hugs. I had taken her silence in the morning as a lack of interest in wanting any physical contact. I was happy to have a new understanding of where she was coming from.
My eleventh notebook was a male student saying he wished I knew he wanted to be a basketball player. He wanted me to come see him play at a game after school.
A female student shared that she wished I knew how much she wanted to be a teacher. She said she watched my every move to see what she needed to do in order to make her goal happen. I was excited to sit with her at recess and share my experiences with her, if she was willing to hear me out.
By the end of my readings, I saw each student in a different light. I read passages that were light, others heavy and weighing on me.
However, I looked forward to walking in class the next day with a new mindset.
Thank you, Kyle Schwartz. Thank you, students, for sharing your thoughts with me.
Have you ever read this book?
Rebecca Brinkman
Rebecca Brinkman is a third-grade teacher in Phoenix, Arizona. She has taught at the same school for her entire 15-year career. Her campus is a second home and it has a strong family feel to it. This is what draws her back every year. She is excited to begin her “Sweet 16th” year of teaching! She has taught 2nd grade for ten years and 3rd grade for five years. She has served as a team lead on her campus for six years. She earned a Masters in Education with a focus on Curriculum and Instruction from Arizona State University, as well as a Masters in Reading. She also earned her Bachelor of Arts in Education from Arizona State University. Rebecca achieved National Board Certification in the fall of 2019 in Early to Middle Childhood Literacy. She is passionate about building relationships and creating magic in the classroom for her scholars. She credits her former speech teacher as her reason for becoming an educator. She profoundly impacted her attitude towards school and self-esteem as a young student; Rebecca realized she wanted to make that same impact on children by helping them realize their strengths and pushing through personal challenges. Her second biggest passion is travel! She can often be found planning her next big adventure. She also enjoys hiking, reading, storytelling with The Moth, volunteering and bucket listing. The quote that resonates most with her is, “The dream is free, but the hustle is sold separately.”