Kids Are Left In Tears After Listening To Each Other’s Baggage During Teacher’s New Kindness Activity
For some people, teaching is not just a job — it’s a calling. These school teachers genuinely care about their students’ lives and problems and aren’t just waiting for the workday to end quicker.
One brilliant teacher who deeply cares about the kids in her class is Karen Wunderlich Loewe, an English Language Arts teacher at Collinsville Middle School, in Oklahoma. She cares about her students’ emotional and mental health so much, she tried out ‘The Baggage Activity’ in school, with astounding results.
Scroll down for Bored Panda’s interview with the teacher!
A teacher at Collinsville Middle School did ‘The Baggage Activity’…
Image credits: karen.loewe
…where students wrote their emotional baggage on some paper and put it into a bag. What happened next was intense but wonderful
Kids anonymously wrote down what’s hurting or bothering them (i.e. their ‘baggage’) on a piece of paper, scrunched it up, and put it in a bag. Then, they all took turns reading them out loud. Those who wanted to admitted that it was their emotional baggage they were talking about. The students’ stories were heartrendingly raw.
In class, you would rarely expect kids to talk about such emotional health issues as death, cancer, suicide, drug-use in the family, as well as parents going to prison. But that’s exactly what they talked about with their teacher Karen. This makes you realize the type of emotional weight that some school kids have to carry on their shoulders every day.
However, there were flashes of (dark) comedy to be found in the classroom as well. For example, one of the kids said that their gerbil died ‘because it was fat.’ Alas, poor gerbil, we hardly knew ye.
According to the teacher, this was one of the most impactful days ever
Image credits: karen.loewe
Bored Panda interviewed Karen about ‘The Baggage Activity’ and here’s what she had to say: “I needed to do something to make my kids realize that other people go through other things and some may be the same as them. I wanted them to be more kind to each other. The middle school age can be a difficult and trying time. I wanted to instill some empathy with them.”
She continued: “I don’t know if any other teachers in public schools or my area have done it. Since I’ve done this, I have had other teachers all over the world incorporate it into their teaching styles. My life changed because it went viral and people from all over the world contacted me. Lots of positive feedback along with a very few haters.”
According to Karen, the long-term effect of the activity was how helpful it was to come back to it if someone was ‘hateful to a classmate and then they quit being mean.’
“I would recommend this for adults as well,” she added. “We have even more baggage and things we have gone through as we get older. It helps to open up and realize you’re not alone. As adults, we pretend that everything is ok and we have it all figured out when in reality, that is far from the truth.”
The teacher had some advice for others in her profession who want to support their students: “They have to be genuine. Kids can see right through us. They know if we care or love them. If we don’t have a relationship with them, they won’t open up and trust us.”
However, Karen noted that ‘The Baggage Activity’ isn’t for everyone. “I have a personality that, thankfully, has blessed me to be a teacher who the kids open up to. I’m very up-front, to the point, but also show them some love. I sincerely hope others just do whatever is best for their kids. We, as teachers, know what is best for our students and no one else can tell you what will work best. It’s your call.”
Some people thought that the activity was brilliant
According to Karen, this was one of the most emotional days she’s ever had as a teacher. Lots of people were affected by her story. When she shared it on Facebook, it went viral and now has nearly a million likes and over 637,000 shares. Any teacher is able to follow in Karen’s footsteps, but it doesn’t necessarily mean doing ‘The Baggage Activity.’
Teach Hub explains that any teacher is capable of helping their students deal with difficult periods in their lives, say when their parents are getting divorced or one of their family members is seriously ill.
Teachers provide consistency and a routine that helps students have a firm foundation to stand on, no matter what is happening outside of school. So help bring some order to your students’ lives. Furthermore, the best teachers who are compassionate and reinforce their students’ strengths will help them flourish. This way, the kids will also feel important and wanted, not neglected.
However, others warned that such activities could have negative consequences
Image credits: msduane
Interesting exercise, and reasonable criticism. I think the idea of tossing the baggage and leaving it at the door was nice but asking the kids to talk about it openly is a little scary. Maybe just have them toss it and then let them know that as teacher, you’re available to the students if they ever want to open up. I commend the kids for handling it well.
All I can think is: Sharing out loud = handing out ammo for bullies to use later.
Why did you laugh at a dead pet? I am sure that the student loved the little baby a lot (which is why they wrote it down) and they are laughed at?
They probably gigled at the fact that it was fat. Not because its dead and i dont believe they would laugh if the owner of the pet didnt laugh too.
Load More Replies...
I don't like the fact that this teacher expose the class in the internet with the thoughts of the kids. , Second expose the deeply thoughts and fears of each kids to the class. One kid wrote that his gerbill has died because was fat and the class giggled..well how that kid feels now? And how she know that the kids don't recognize the handwriting?
If I had one person to reach out to me, just one person who cared enough to ask, it could of changed my life dramatically....
Asking kids to bleed in public for the entertainment of others is NEVER a good idea. Demanding to know who wrote something and then grilling them about it in front of their classmates guarantees that the bullies have more fuel than they could have had in their wildest dreams. ...///... This was a HORRIBLE idea.
Who said anything about demanding to know who wrote it and/or grilling them? Did you read the article or just make up your own?
Load More Replies...
I agree with the folks saying this gives other kids ammunition. When I was 12, my young friend from a different school was killed by her school bus. During my absence, my teacher 'prepared ' the class to be compassionate toward me by reading them the newspaper article. I was off for a few days. When I returned, during recess, 4 of my classmates reenacted her death in front of me. Plus, one of the kids this teacher mentioned was sad because his pet died, so they laughed because it was fat? Wtf?
What was the point of it being anonymous if she then asked who wrote it?!
She didn't force anyone to admit they wrote it ... she asked them if they wanted to share. Some kids might have wanted to talk more about it, others not.
Load More Replies...
The idea is good. But I would prefer that the reading of those papers should be done by the teacher, AFTER a preselection. And not asking if the person would share more ´bout it. Otherwise, it could lead to bullying afterwards.
At least the child has the choice of weather they want to share more information/talk about it publicly - or not.
Load More Replies...
I think it's a positive exercise as long as anonymity is guaranteed. There are similar experiences where kids write something and put it in a place where only the teacher can read it. Then the teacher can reach out to the students for a chat or the other way around.
msduane, that was a good explanation. I look forward to reading more about this from you.
I found her reply to be extremely informative. As teachers, all of us are not counselors, therapists. We benefit and are beneficial to our students when we realize our 'limitations' and stay in our lane.
Load More Replies...
I had big struggles as a child and I would have hated this activity. I worked hard to keep the difficult part of my life private and this would have shattered me. School was my safe place. This would have made me feel vulnerable. It's good for kids to know that their classmates and others they meet might in life might be suffering somehow and to be compassionate to everyone, but this teacher overstepped her boundaries by forcing kids to share at school.
Puh. While she meant really well, I don't think this is something a teacher should do, especially on their own. It goes too deep and is too personal. This belongs in the hands of psychologists/psychiatrists. What if a child would have been seriously triggered - does the teacher have the means to prevent a traumatic meltdown? Some tools are so strong they need to be in trained hands.
We need more schools doing this. If you're a teacher please do this. So MANY kids will be so relieved if u do this.
Maybe schools should have the same sort of support group circles that prisoners and drug addicts etc have where you can go in and only talk with other people who've had f****d up s**t on the same level as you so it eliminates much of the potential for bullying.
Load More Replies... 
This is so powerful. It always feels good to open up and let out everything thats going wrong in your life. I wish more people did this. It would change lives
Well, as you can read in that last reply, it's not that good at all.
Load More Replies...
Dear Mrs Lowre, First, I would like to thank you for your time and your dedication in teaching our children in their education. After reading your post, I can tell that you are an amazing teacher with a truly caring sole and you hold a deep love for your students and all of their well being. I also can see that you had every good intention and reasoning in doing this activity. With that being said, I hope that you will read this letter with an open mind and the willingness to see the activity from a different point of view and understanding of how activities like this can be catastrophic for someone who may be dealing with PTSD or personal traumas. My name is Camille Garza, I will be 40 years old next week. I have been diagnosed with CPTSD, anxiety disorder, ADHD, and depression. I have currently just started my journey as a student at Idaho State University, where I will be studying my minor in Advocacy and my major in Social Work. What brought me to my decision to go back to scho
Wonderful idea. Teams in business should do the same before starting a project.
Interesting exercise, and reasonable criticism. I think the idea of tossing the baggage and leaving it at the door was nice but asking the kids to talk about it openly is a little scary. Maybe just have them toss it and then let them know that as teacher, you’re available to the students if they ever want to open up. I commend the kids for handling it well.
All I can think is: Sharing out loud = handing out ammo for bullies to use later.
Why did you laugh at a dead pet? I am sure that the student loved the little baby a lot (which is why they wrote it down) and they are laughed at?
They probably gigled at the fact that it was fat. Not because its dead and i dont believe they would laugh if the owner of the pet didnt laugh too.
Load More Replies... I don't like the fact that this teacher expose the class in the internet with the thoughts of the kids. , Second expose the deeply thoughts and fears of each kids to the class. One kid wrote that his gerbill has died because was fat and the class giggled..well how that kid feels now? And how she know that the kids don't recognize the handwriting?
If I had one person to reach out to me, just one person who cared enough to ask, it could of changed my life dramatically....
Asking kids to bleed in public for the entertainment of others is NEVER a good idea. Demanding to know who wrote something and then grilling them about it in front of their classmates guarantees that the bullies have more fuel than they could have had in their wildest dreams. ...///... This was a HORRIBLE idea.
Who said anything about demanding to know who wrote it and/or grilling them? Did you read the article or just make up your own?
Load More Replies... I agree with the folks saying this gives other kids ammunition. When I was 12, my young friend from a different school was killed by her school bus. During my absence, my teacher 'prepared ' the class to be compassionate toward me by reading them the newspaper article. I was off for a few days. When I returned, during recess, 4 of my classmates reenacted her death in front of me. Plus, one of the kids this teacher mentioned was sad because his pet died, so they laughed because it was fat? Wtf?
What was the point of it being anonymous if she then asked who wrote it?!
She didn't force anyone to admit they wrote it ... she asked them if they wanted to share. Some kids might have wanted to talk more about it, others not.
Load More Replies... The idea is good. But I would prefer that the reading of those papers should be done by the teacher, AFTER a preselection. And not asking if the person would share more ´bout it. Otherwise, it could lead to bullying afterwards.
At least the child has the choice of weather they want to share more information/talk about it publicly - or not.
Load More Replies... I think it's a positive exercise as long as anonymity is guaranteed. There are similar experiences where kids write something and put it in a place where only the teacher can read it. Then the teacher can reach out to the students for a chat or the other way around.
msduane, that was a good explanation. I look forward to reading more about this from you.
I found her reply to be extremely informative. As teachers, all of us are not counselors, therapists. We benefit and are beneficial to our students when we realize our 'limitations' and stay in our lane.
Load More Replies... I had big struggles as a child and I would have hated this activity. I worked hard to keep the difficult part of my life private and this would have shattered me. School was my safe place. This would have made me feel vulnerable. It's good for kids to know that their classmates and others they meet might in life might be suffering somehow and to be compassionate to everyone, but this teacher overstepped her boundaries by forcing kids to share at school.
Puh. While she meant really well, I don't think this is something a teacher should do, especially on their own. It goes too deep and is too personal. This belongs in the hands of psychologists/psychiatrists. What if a child would have been seriously triggered - does the teacher have the means to prevent a traumatic meltdown? Some tools are so strong they need to be in trained hands.
We need more schools doing this. If you're a teacher please do this. So MANY kids will be so relieved if u do this.
Maybe schools should have the same sort of support group circles that prisoners and drug addicts etc have where you can go in and only talk with other people who've had f****d up s**t on the same level as you so it eliminates much of the potential for bullying.
Load More Replies... This is so powerful. It always feels good to open up and let out everything thats going wrong in your life. I wish more people did this. It would change lives
Well, as you can read in that last reply, it's not that good at all.
Load More Replies... Dear Mrs Lowre, First, I would like to thank you for your time and your dedication in teaching our children in their education. After reading your post, I can tell that you are an amazing teacher with a truly caring sole and you hold a deep love for your students and all of their well being. I also can see that you had every good intention and reasoning in doing this activity. With that being said, I hope that you will read this letter with an open mind and the willingness to see the activity from a different point of view and understanding of how activities like this can be catastrophic for someone who may be dealing with PTSD or personal traumas. My name is Camille Garza, I will be 40 years old next week. I have been diagnosed with CPTSD, anxiety disorder, ADHD, and depression. I have currently just started my journey as a student at Idaho State University, where I will be studying my minor in Advocacy and my major in Social Work. What brought me to my decision to go back to scho
Wonderful idea. Teams in business should do the same before starting a project.
225
39