twitter.com/kylemschwartzKyle Schwartz is a third grade teacher at Doull Elementary School in Denver, and she's single-handedly changing the way students communicate in classrooms around the country.
After teaching for three years, Schwartz began to realize that many of her kids, while wonderful at school, faced multiple obstacles at home.
"Ninety-two percent of our students qualify for free or reduced lunch," she 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."
That's when Schwartz devised a new lesson plan dubbed "I Wish My Teacher Knew," which involved kids writing notes to her detailing things that they wanted her to know about their lives.
"I let students determine if they would like to answer anonymously. 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," Schwartz explained.
"Some notes are heartbreaking…I care deeply about each and every one of my students and I don't want any of them to have to suffer the consequences of living in poverty, which is my main motivation for teaching."
Schwartz added that "I Wish My Teacher Knew" has had an immediate, positive impact on her kids' lives.
"Building community in my classroom is a major goal of this lesson. After one student shared that she had no one to play with at recess, the rest of the class chimed in and said, 'We got your back.' The next day during recess, I noticed she was playing with a group of girls. Not only can I support my students, but my students can support each other."
OK, who has Kleenex?! Asking for a friend…