If Only My Teacher Knew

Kyle Schwartz is a teacher in Denver, Colorado.  She is changing the way students communicate with teachers across the country.  Ms. Schwartz came to realize that while she saw her students gain or decline academically, she never fully understood what obstacles they faced outside of the school building.  She devised a lesson entitled, “If Only My Teacher Knew”, which involves students writing notes to her that detail exactly what the kids wanted her to know personally about them.  This isn’t the index card asking for favorite activities, names of pets and your street address. Nope, this is  kids pouring out their hearts on issues that they deal with on a daily basis.  Examples of this are “Sometimes my reading list is not signed because my Mom is not around a lot” and “I miss my Dad because he got deported to Mexico and I haven’t seen him in six years” and “I have no one to play with at recess” and “My Mom is getting sick a lot and was in hospital last night.”  It is kind of like asking God to break your heart for what breaks His.  She began to better understand her students.  Her mind was awakened to things.  Her level of empathy increased.  She was able to put herself in their shoes.  She was better able to connect with the kids under her charge.

What about your kids?  How well do you REALLY know them?  Do you know what they go through outside of school?  I challenge you to give an assignment in you class with an introductory phrase for “If Only My Teacher Knew…”  What you will gain is not just insight but perhaps a DEEPER insight than ever before.  Not all kids, but some kids, carry excess baggage. Quite frankly, it isn’t something that an 11, 12, or 13 year old should have to shoulder.  We have kids who are watching their parents separate.  We have kids who are struggling with finding friends. We have kids who did not eat dinner last night.  We have kids who have no conception of a family dinner table.  We have kids who are never told that they are loved.  We have kids who have not been told anything positive this week…or month…or year.  So, what do we do about it? We must fill that gap. If not us, then whom?  For such a time as this, we must fill the gap in the limited time we have with these kids. You can do this by establishing positive relationships with your students.  They need to know that you value them. You need to be the first to reach out and persist in that effort until a connection is made.  You have the be the one to build trust, not the other way around.  “I have done all I can” is not an option – please do not run that one past me because it will not be accepted.   When you send this task out where your students will write about “If only my teacher knew…”, remember to send back the message that you are invested in their success.

Did You Bring Your Umbrella?

The story goes like this – a town in the Midwest had been suffering a severe drought over a stretch of searing heat and arid conditions.  The grass around homes turned brown, the water table grew shallow, and restrictions were imposed on water usage.  The most critically affected acreage were the fields of farmers.  Their crops were just not drying up; they were dying.  Not only would farmers stand to lose financially, the consumers who relied on these crops for food would go hungry.  After a solid month of drought, the townspeople decided it was time to gather the religious leaders of the town and assemble for a prayer service.  The entire town – every man, woman and child showed up to pray.  The hundreds  amassed prayed fervently and appeared to be engaged in desperate prayer.  Notably, only one little girl brought her umbrella.  Why was that action so powerful?   Simple - she demonstrated an act of true faith and true belief in what would happen. You have to believe in what you are doing.  You have to believe that your teaching lessons are effective and will produce good results.  You have to believe that your plan will work.  You have to believe that your kids will grow academically.  You have to believe in your students and they have to believe in you.  But, and this is a big but (no joke response, please), you cannot just show outward signs of believing in what you do.  You can’t just go through the motions and perform a great “dog and pony show” everyday where you become the “Sage on the Stage” or the best entertainer at the Holiday Inn Express.  You cannot meet with your grade level common course colleagues and not engage in the dialogue.  You cannot accept exit slips from your students and just discard them like useless scratch pads.  You cannot ignore the data.  You cannot use teaching strategies that did not work in the 80’s, 90’s, or any time since.  You cannot fail to ask questions at higher levels of understanding. You cannot fail to write assessments that are of at least “state test caliber”. You cannot blow off the importance of developing positive student relationships.  You cannot point your students and yourself to the long-term goals and then do nothing about reaching them.  You cannot let your students lose focus nor can you let yourself lose focus.  You cannot ignore the advice given during professional development.  You cannot live your school year without vision for your students because without vision the people perish (hmm, I read that somewhere).  The bottom line is this – if you don’t believe that your plan and strategies will work, then please turn your umbrella in and move on.  On the other hand, if you believe, truly believe, that the path you have mapped out for your students and the execution of that plan is a great one, then open up that umbrella because the rain is going to come.  We have to cover these kids – that is not negotiable!  After all, Noah didn’t build the Ark when it was raining.  Did you bring your umbrella?