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This Teacher Asked Kids A Simple Question And Was Heartbroken After Hearing Their Answers
Last year we wrote a post about Kyle Schwartz, a third grade teacher at Doull Elementary School in Denver, Colorado who gave her students one very simple task. She asked them to complete the sentence "I wish my teacher knew..." and the answers were as surprising as they were heartbreaking. One of her students didn't have pencils to do their homework with. Another had nobody to play with. One had a mom who got sick a lot and another had a mom who wasn't even around to sign their reading log.
Her findings were shared widely on the internet and the Twitter hashtag “#iwishmyteacherknew" went viral as other teachers followed suit and asked their students the same question before sharing the results with Kyle. Now Ms. Schwartz has published a book titled "I Wish My Teacher Knew: How One Question Can Change Everything For Our Kids," and you can find some examples of the notes that inspired her in the heartbreaking list below.
More info: Twitter | I Wish My Teacher Knew
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
jevais 9 years ago
How sad. The country that wants to rule the world can't even have their children have pencils at home. Unbelievable! All the money goes to sending spaceships to find life on other planets or war in other countries.
SavageDoughnut 9 years ago
Agreed. All these people are trying to explore other planets, find ways to make robots just so they don't have to do anything but breath. But we are too caught up with that, and we are taking away money from education for kids and schools. THEY are our future. THEY will take care of the world.
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Donna Johnson-Koch 9 years ago
That's a great question! Maybe a child wants to tell the teacher or someone something but just scared.
Cynthia Cheng Mintz 9 years ago
Are the kids not allowed to take pencils at school home with them?
Brent Morgan 9 years ago
Or maybe he was just trying to get out of doing his homework? I think I tried that excuse as a kid!
Naomi Prior 9 years ago
Would it be so adorable if it were your child? Personally I find it heartbreaking that in this day and age any child could write this!
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#2
Leah May 9 years ago
What the kids appear to really be saying is I wish my teacher knew I was a whole person with a backstory and to please treat me accordingly. Understand my lack of effort may be due to stress and heartache and lack of resources as oppose to naughtiness laziness etc.
Nina Bosak 9 years ago
Almost all the stories here are heartbreaking...poor kids...but I also notice (as a mother)that these kids are 3rd grade and their english is terrible...Im sayin this just because I have to send my daughter to hospital because her writing is not that good and if I dont do so (even if I dont agree and I dont because she is lazy and not interested in writing)they will call child services...do they do that in US? she's a 3rd grader and very polite,shy and never made a problem in class...
Thegreatcountryofverden 7 years ago
How about more sadness in your comment?
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scott miller 9 years ago
You're an a*s. What if someone read what you wrote and replied , based on your name, that my family got killed by a terrorist. Just by your name and their ignorance. You're not funny and you need to get a clue.
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#3
Puddin Tane 9 years ago
I didn't have a friend until the 7th grade, so I can relate to this poor child. Hope he/she makes a friend real soon.
#4
#5
Teresa Stockroske 9 years ago
Onion ninja smacked me straight in the face on this one..... I lost too many family members to some firm of cancer.
Danielle Kale 9 years ago
He/she could have had an adult aide who writes for them. My son is in second grade and has a full time aide who writes down his ideas.
Roselientje 9 years ago
Looks like someone else wrote it for him, its kinda a grown up handwriting. Nevertheless I feel sorry for this girl or boy.
Sigrid Vinter 9 years ago
..and doesn't that handwriting look grown up..?
Load More Replies... Vincent Jay 9 years ago
Hmmmm...... This letter seems to have been written with a hand which looks like adult penmanship.
rabbit inred 9 years ago
my niece is very well spoken at 2 and 1/2, she tells me that " the moon will keep getting bigger every night and then it will be a full moon", that "the baby in mommys tummy is the size of a tomatoe but pretty soon it will be the size of an orange" , and things for her are never too hard, "they are very difficult but that is because i am just a little girl." She is smart as a whip and precocious as all get out and I would not be surprised if she wrote this well in a couple of years, if not sooner.
Load More Replies... Beatrijs Anckaert 9 years ago
poor, poor darling, if only we could heal the world where kids have to life this kind of situations.......
#6
DParks 8 years ago
Teacher might wanna substitute something easier, like a cartwheel or little forward roll. :)
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#7
basson6 9 years ago
Interesting response re: #7 vs #8. Mom should be reported or called even if it is work - and dad , well he's working .
Tanya de Kruijff 9 years ago
Well, I think this one is more of a concern because there also seems to be no dad around. Otherwise he could sign the log.
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Katie Williams 9 years ago
this is basically how I grew up. Mum travelled a lot for work and wasn't always around to sign things. Though I was older than these kids when I was fending for myself, at very young ages my aunt was there. Though my younger sister was her main concern
#8
Grace Barclay 9 years ago
It does, sometimes too early...hug for you Luis.
Load More Replies... Roselientje 9 years ago
As a kid you need to get noticed when you do good. Builds up your selfesteem. I hope the teacher reads the note from him...
Japhia Col 9 years ago
All kids need reinforcement, regardless of liking the person or not. People are paid to be professional.
#9
jevais 9 years ago
Life in the U.S.A. is not at all the Amercian dream. Why people cannot live on just one salary? How shocking. What is wrong with your economy? Why do the citizens have to hold down Serval jobs at a time? I feel so sad for the average person living in the States, I hope that one day things will change and that works will not have to work in several places to keep food on the table.
Amanda Martin 9 years ago
I live in Canada, and I work 55 hours between 2 jobs. My son lives with his dad because I am trying to pay for my own place, bills, child support... And barely making it on minimum wage. I have lived on my own for 6 months and have only bought groceries once.. I buy little things here and there but mostly I survive on frozen vegetables and rice.
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Tony Boon 9 years ago
I feel so much for this kid. My dad was also a hard worker because my mom is an immigrant without any grade so she couldn't get a well paid job. My father worked so hard that I could live my life however I wanted it, then one year ago, he got cancer and here I am now, alone with my mother. And I do also know the reason why he had to work so hard and couldn't be home often now...
#10
Steven Thomas Ganz 9 years ago
When I was that age I knew that my teachers knew that I was being bullied but they didn't do anything about it, it's just not fare that I did walk funny because I had to wear a leg brace due to polio. Although now I have no regrets.
Teri Croteau 9 years ago
My preschool teacher had polio and he was (and still is) one of my heroes. I'm so sorry you were bullied <3
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Roselientje 9 years ago
Whow, that's a big compliment for the teacher. And great that the kid knows how to compliment and show gratitude.
sunnyrei82 9 years ago
Love this one. I think that's one thing that EVERY teacher wonders. Most of them give their all, and sometimes they simply need to know "is this worth it? am I making a difference in their lives?"
#12
Notchimine Mette 9 years ago
My dad also died this year, but I have always felt alone and disconnected, but now I am sad as well. Luckily they make drugs for that... Britney should get a prescription when she turns 18. It really helps! :)
Pi... 9 years ago
I feel you... I hope u get better a 100% and have a great and rewarding life...
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frederic eeckman 9 years ago
I guess the teacher knew that her dad died, but not that she felt alone and disconnected from others.
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#14
Amanda Martin 9 years ago
I've had arthritis from a young age as well. I feel this child's literal pain. Keep fighting, young one!
#15
Chrissy Tinker 9 years ago
People lie on registration forms all the time, I'm sure. They use a relatives address or something. I can imagine they're afraid of losing their kids.
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Goz Maculele 9 years ago
that was my youth and i don't know if it would have made any difference with Mrs. Gallagher
#16
#17
Brian Vonr 9 years ago
it's horrible that someone so young has already formed this view of themselves. We are utterly failing our children...
#18
Anya O 9 years ago
I wish my teacher knew that!And that I also become very focused when I draw stuff on the corners of my book
Roselientje 9 years ago
I do that in my notebook/collegeblock in classes. At the corners and the outline of the book. Sometimes there are more litlle drawings than notes (when its a boring and there is not much new information to write down).
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#20
#21
Pi... 9 years ago
This...is imposed on kids and people and makes us feel bad for not achieving our over-expectations
don't scam bored panda 6 years ago
I'm in PATS, a program in Illinois (maybe in other states, but IDK), that is from smart students that are above their grade level. I always get kinda scared to ask for help because I don't want to embarrass myself.
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Pyra Elvea 9 years ago
Srsly? Don't u think it leaves mark on a child too? If it's something that could help me understand a child better, than it's a usefull info.
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Daniel Mallory 8 years ago
im the opisite when stressed engh my body and mind shut it out causing well nt adention
#25
Kjorn 9 years ago
that's the kind of stuff the teacher MUST know. my kid has it and the teacher know it. It MUST know that for adapt his teaching
Nga Kieu 8 years ago
the school supposed to check every year, and advice parents to take their kids to pediatrician.
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Tony Demetriou 9 years ago
After I was diagnosed, my teacher was informed. I was told that he "didn't believe in it" and that I needed to stop making excuses and asking for special treatment. Even though we'd only informed him of the diagnosis and hadn't asked to be treated any differently. Oh well, fortunately now that I'm a parent my kid's teachers are handling this same situation so much better!
#26
#27
Maniac_With_Nails 9 years ago
He/she is NOT a suck up. I, for one, really enjoy school. So it is perfectly normal for someone to say that they like school. There is nothing wrong with it. So stop criticizing this student. They are just expressing their opinion. If they like school, they like school. Most of my friends actually like school. So to Elena Popowitch and Cairis Adams, every child has the right to like school. So if you didn't like school, I'm sorry for your loss. I'm sorry you didn't have a decent childhood to make you decent people.
Socially Awkward 8 years ago
Liking school doesn't make you a suck up. Maybe they just genuinely like school.
#28
Lou Varner 9 years ago
this can be a real problem and sometimes other ways to take test have to be developed i was one of those
#31
frederic eeckman 9 years ago
I never understood teachers who blame students for asking questions...
Flora Polvado 9 years ago
My sixth grade teacher would make fun of kids with "stupid" questions. She ruined me for school. All A's til her.
Erich Kraus 9 years ago
I have taught in urban, rural and suburban districts, and it seems the approach and attitude of both students and teachers to asking questions can differ greatly. The hardest part of the decision for a teacher to field questions is ascertaining the motive behind the question(s). Honestly, there are some students that will ask questions not for answers, but to deliberately waste time. Sometimes, the stress of getting through curriculum to prepare students for "common core" type testing limits the time for answering questions. I used several techniques to make sure that students who truly were seeking answers to questions were satisfied. 1. When possible, I reserved 4-5 minutes at the end of class to field questions, and the students knew this policy, and were encouraged to wait. 2. Each student kept a journal for my classes, and if when they had a question there was not time at that moment to answer, they would write it down and share it with me one on one. Not perfect, but gotta try...
Erich Kraus 9 years ago
The hardest part was deciding that despite the challenges, if a question was "too good" to ignore and needed to be answered right then and there. Peer feedback could also then be a part of the discussion.
Load More Replies... jevais 9 years ago
I had a teacher who called r******d, because I asked too many questions. I was only seven years old at the time. I have never forgotten how sad it made me feel. That fact was that I was placed in the back of the class and could not read what was on the blackboard. Later I had eye glasses, I was nearsighted.
#33
#34
Lilya 9 years ago
I'm left out, I have friends, it's just that I feel like they watch tv shows, for example, that I've never watched before, and get blamed for not watching them...
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#35
Tessa 9 years ago
wait, aren't these written by young children? that is very sad if such a young child knows so many people who want to kill themselves. I am one myself and know some others as well and I dont think young children should get involved in this too much, i dont think that is healthy
Bobbi Webley 9 years ago
Obviously this is a teen. It's still ridiculously sad.
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#36
#37
#38
#39
#44
#45
#46
Anne Rouffignac 9 years ago
Sweet kid, and I love the little annotation by the teacher. Get well soon Grandma!
#47
Daniel Mallory 8 years ago
sorry but to lighten the mood a read meth at first glance
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#50
Shawn Jackson 8 years ago
Pretty sure it's the drama club. That's my guess. The "cast" is everyone in the play.
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#52
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What do you think ?
Goz Maculele 9 years ago
I want the teacher to stand up in the front of class take a moment of silence and then profess directly "now I do know"
Puddin Tane 9 years ago
What does it take to open teachers/parents eyes to what is going on with their children? When will the positive changes start?
I use this account to say what I really think 9 years ago
So many broken homes, what a sad society we live in.
Goz Maculele 9 years ago
I want the teacher to stand up in the front of class take a moment of silence and then profess directly "now I do know"
Puddin Tane 9 years ago
What does it take to open teachers/parents eyes to what is going on with their children? When will the positive changes start?
I use this account to say what I really think 9 years ago
So many broken homes, what a sad society we live in.
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