Meet Elle Deal. She’s the fifth grade teacher you’ve always wanted.
Elle Deal
You know—the kind of teacher that cares deeply for every single student, creates an atmosphere of positivity and has a smile that shines from ear to ear.
On Friday, she asked her class to write a short “blurb” called, “I wish my teacher would know…”
Elle Deal
She shared a few of the responses that really stuck out to her in a Facebook post:
“Kid 1: I wish my teacher would know, my dad is in jail and I haven’t seen him in years.
Kid 2: I wish my teacher would know, I don’t always eat dinner because my mom works and I don’t know how to work the stove.
Kid 3: I wish my teacher would know, my sister sleeps in the same bed as me and sometimes she wets the bed and that’s why I smell funny.
Kid 4: I wish my teacher would know that I don’t always have sneakers for gym class because my brothers and I share one pair.
Kid 5: I wish my teacher would know, I like coming to school because it’s quiet here, not like my house with all the yelling.”
It’s heart wrenching to read the things that so many kids endure at a young age. But it’s teachers like Elle—who take the time to build relationships with their students—that have a lasting effect on every child they encounter.
Her activity serves as a great reminder that what we see in people is only a small piece of the story.
As Elle puts it in her post:
“We spend so much time talking and judging what we think we know…we need to ask more questions and spend more time listening. We also need to shift our mindset and see things from other people’s perspective. Give more than we get. Live to serve and to help make a difference in others lives.”
And finally:
“Let’s leave this life a little better than we found it.”
As one wise teacher stated after 40 years of educating:
“Every child deserves a champion—an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be.” ~Rita Pierson
I’m so glad that good-hearted teachers like Elle are on a mission to make that vision a reality for this generation of children. 💛
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