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There are a few things all kids seem to have trouble with growing up: limiting their sugar intake; abiding by their set bedtime; and in most everything they do, asking for help.
Admitting you need someone’s help can be challenging, and all the more so when you’re afraid or you simply feel like you have no one to turn to and trust.
It seems to be a problem especially when it comes to school, where our kids may need help with work, their first crush and responding to bullies on the playground, who definitely must not see them tattling!
A middle-school teacher in Texas, however, seems to have figured out a way around this. And Julia Brown’s ‘“I need” box’ is something we think should be in every classroom.
Teachers, have you introduced anything in your classroom to help kids who may be struggling? Parents, do you know of any teachers going above and beyond to help learners? Tell us by emailing chatback@parent24.com and we may publish it.
- Also read: 8 things great teachers do differently
In an interview with Scary Mommy, Brown explained that in a survey learners had to identify an adult they felt they could go to for help, and about 10% of them said they felt they had no one. In an effort to change that, she covered a box in blue polka-dot wrapping paper and cut an opening on the top. She wrote on Facebook, “I am the least crafty person I know,” but added, “I’m calling this my 'I need' box.”
“I’m going to set it out with note cards and pencils,” she wrote. “If a student needs something they are not comfortable voicing aloud, they can write it on the note card with their name and put it in the box. I’ll get back to them about it before the week is done.”
She gave a few examples of problems she could help the kids with, and it ranged from needing help with a bully to resolving a spat with a friend. “I just want to let my students know I’m there to help them with anything they need,” she wrote. And she certainly has.
She ensured that every child visited the box daily, even if they didn’t have anything they needed help with and just put a blank card in the box. A month later she wrote, “I’ve had a plethora of 'needs' submitted. They range from specific supply needs, seat changes, special handshakes when entering class" to "after school help, bullying situations, and even daily hugs.”
Brown says learners have started bypassing the box altogether and coming directly to her for help, showing just how important it is to build trust with students so that they actually feel comfortable sharing how they’re feeling. “I’ve been teaching middle school for 15 years, and I can honestly say this is the best thing I’ve ever done to reach my kids,” she explains.
Teachers, have you introduced anything in your classroom to help kids who may be struggling? Parents, do you know of any teachers going above and beyond to help learners? Tell us by emailing chatback@parent24.com and we may publish it.
Read more:
- "No means no": How this teacher explains consent to 3-year-olds in the sweetest way
- Insider tips to get into some of SA’s top schools
- PRINT IT: SA's school holidays 2019 calendar
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