Teachers have not been shed in the best light in recent news regarding testing scandals. However, one teacher, Kyle Schwartz, has begun to bring back the positive spirit of teaching, allowing us to readjust our focus to what it should be...the students.
In early March, Schwartz retweeted an image of a presentation slide which read, “What if every teacher tweeted one thing a day that they did in their classroom to a school hashtag, and they took five minutes a day to read each other’s tweets? What impact would that have on learning and school culture?” It was originally posted by Dakotah Cooper, an elementary music teacher.
In what appears to be an answer to that calling, Schwartz soon shared a very special activity that she did with her third grade class. She called it “I wish my teacher knew....” It’s very simple, students just finish the sentence with whatever they want to share, and it can be anonymous. According to ABC News, Schwartz was a bit surprised that most of the students chose to put their names on their papers, and were painfully honest.
Some students wrote about not having friends to play with, or being bullied. Others wrote about their work, such as wanting to read, not having pencils at home, or not being able to get papers signed because their parent isn’t around much. As unfortunate and eye opening as these admissions can be, they are not entirely surprising. What is surprising is the willingness of these children to share their feelings, and how easily their needs go unmet when teachers adhere to strictly academic regimens. Schwartz was aware of the fact that she needed to connect with her students, which is why she started “I wish my teacher knew...” as an opportunity for students to share their thoughts, feelings, fears, and desires. Other teachers picked up on this community fostering activity quickly, and began sharing the results on Twitter, as Schwartz did, under the hash tag #iwishmyteacherknew. As she explained to ABC News, “I think it caught on so fast because teachers are highly collaborative and freely share...In the end, all teachers want to support their students, and #iwishmyteacherknew is a simple and powerful way to do that.” What started as a simple attempt to connect with her students has become an inspiration to others, an opportunity for recognition, and a catalyst for change. Schwartz suggested that other teachers use this activity with their students, and share the results with #iwishmyteacherknew. This was not only done by other elementary school teachers, but middle school teachers, high school teachers, and even one foster mother shared her idea. #iwishmyfosterparentknew.
The opportunity for recognition afforded to students that often have no voice, no chance to share their feelings is immeasurable, and as reported by CBS News, is “just a simple way to let kids advocate for themselves.” Another Twitter user commented that it’s not just children who want to be able to express themselves, but also adults. The proof of the importance and effectiveness of this type of communication can be seen in a tweet which shows a note that a teacher wrote to a student, a note that the woman still carries with her today for encouragement.
Schwartz has also reached out to the public for support in the form of needed supplies for her students, namely, books. Whenever people have responded, she has directed them to DonorsChoose.org, which is a charitable online organization that connects donors with public school teachers in the form of monetary donations. Teachers post requests for supplies needed to complete a project that includes an overall cost. It works like other funding websites such as kickstarter and indiegogo. When the goal is met, DonorsChoose.org purchases and ships the supplies, but they also ensure that the donors have a sense of fulfillment and trust by receiving information on how every dollar was spent, a letter from the teacher explaining what they did, and photos of the project taking place.
The public has responded, not just for Schwartz, but for all public schools, especially those in low income areas where there may be a greater need for books and even everyday supplies (i.e. pencils). Some supporters have started a “book harvest.” The idea is to collect books that can then be donated to public schools. Other supporters have offered their time, such as Jaclyn Allen, a Denver, Colo. news reporter who interviewed Schwartz. She volunteered to visit Schwartz’s classroom and read to her students.
The possibilities for supporting your local school system are endless. To find out more, check out Schwartz’s Twitter site, DonorsChoose.org’s Twitter site or official website, and read our related interview with Montel Williams and NSBA Executive Director, Thomas J. Gentzel to find out more about their website Stand Up 4 Public Schools.