This simple question that will make you glad you asked

"Ever since I did poorly on the {state test} I freak out every time I take a test."
"We have 3 birds, 2 dogs, and 4 cats."

"I don't know who my father is. My mother says he wasn't a good person. But I'd like to know."

Gulp.

The challenges our students carry these days can help us better understand them and their behavior.

When I first read about what Kyle Schwartz, a third-grade teacher from Denver, had done with her students some years back, I was amazed at its simplicity.  

And at how much she learned.  

I gave it to my students every year.  You know how sometimes, you just have the feeling that kids are getting frustrated - it might be with the work or each other.  Or you!  And they don't want to say it out loud.  But you get the sense that they need to talk.  

Sometimes a class meeting would serve the purpose.  Other times, writing it down like this is the answer.

As an ELA teacher who talks about books a lot, I got many  "I love to read" or "I really don't like to read" and a bunch of "I really like to play sports!"

But then there were these....

   

And this one.

This helped explain how this boy responded to a less than stellar grade on a test and immediately wanted to know about extra credit.  

And then this one.

So glad!

That's okay.  We'll get there.  Together.

I'm grateful that they shared some part of themselves with me.  It helped me get to know them a little better.  And I hope they felt heard.

If you'd like to try this, I have an editable freebie for you on TpT.  Click on the picture up at the top or on the link to get it.  I hope you try it and learn a little more about those children sitting in your classrooms this week.

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