On Friday, a teacher gave her 5th graders a simple activity. She asked them to finish the sentence: “I wish my teacher would know…”
What the children wrote broke her heart.
One child wrote, “I wish my teacher would know my dad is in jail, and I haven’t seen him in years.”
Another wrote, “I wish my teacher would know I don’t always eat dinner because my mom works and I don’t know how to use the stove.”
Another shared, “I wish my teacher would know my sister sleeps in the same bed as me, and sometimes she wets the bed. That’s why I smell funny.”
One child wrote, “I wish my teacher would know I don’t always have sneakers for gym class because my brothers and I share one pair.”
And another, “I wish my teacher would know I like coming to school because it’s quiet here, unlike my house with all the yelling.”
💔 These words are a reminder that so many carry silent battles we don’t see. Behind every smile, every classroom seat, every neighbor or coworker, there may be a story we can’t imagine.
We spend so much of life talking, judging, assuming we already know. Maybe what we really need is to slow down, ask questions, and truly listen.
Give more than you get. Choose compassion over judgment. Serve with kindness. Let’s leave this world just a little better than we found it. 💕
Credit: Elle Deal ✍️
