A Colorado teacher wanted to know more about her students, but she wasn’t prepared for what she learned.
Kyle Schwartz teachers third grade at a Denver elementary school, and many of her students come from underprivileged homes.
“Ninety-two percent of our students qualify for free and reduced lunch,” Schwartz told ABC News. “As a new teacher, I struggled to understand the reality of my students’ lives and how to best support them. I just felt like there was something I didn’t know about my students.”
To build trust and learn more about her students, Schwartz started a lesson plan called “I wish my teacher knew,” where students wrote down facts about their life that they wanted to share.
“I let students determine if they would like to answer anonymously,” Schwartz said. “I have found that most students are not only willing to include their name, but also enjoy sharing with the class. Even when what my students are sharing is sensitive in nature, most students want their classmates to know.”