RETHINKING SCHOOLS

Article Title:

"I Believe You"

authored by: Michelle Gunderson

The gist of the article is, when a student reports ANYTHING to you, our response as teachers should start with, "I believe you".  It demonstrates to the child that you are validating his or her statement AND that you hear them.  Most times, as teachers, we may not fully accept what a child is telling us.  We may not be fully engaged and completely listening to what a child is telling us. As stated so eloquently by Emily Ganz, Gunderson's student teacher,"You can always tell someone you hear them but believing them is a whole different story.  It is the investment in the truth of a child's life".  Powerful words, to say the least.

As a kindergarten teacher, my day is filled with children reporting all kinds of events from the mundane to the most serious.  I can not count the times I have children tell me 'who cut who in line' or who is not sharing, or who is not doing his work the right way and on and on.  I think most teachers, especially early childhood educators to upper elementary, can fully relate to this. 

I think we can also relate to having children express untruths, but to them, these statements are completely true.  " 'I believe you' doesn't mean we think that the child is telling the whole truth, but it is the truth from their perspective". 

When a child reports anything, to start with the statement, 'I believe you' clearly shows the child you are engaged; that you are listening.  This is followed up with, let's talk about it, 'it' being the center of the child's reporting.  

As I reflect on this, I can not help but be moved to incorporate this response into my interaction with my incoming students.  How we respond to the LGBTQ student, how we respond to the child of color, how we respond to the neglected or abused child has the potential to change a life.  Todd Reynolds, special education 

certified aid, is queer, made the statement,"I can't imagine how different my life would be if someone would have said 'I believe you' instead of 'you'll grow out of if".

I want to be that teacher who says, 'I believe you'...let's talk about it.  

https://www.youcubed.org/evidence/believe-students-better/

The author argues that whenever a student reports anything to you, start with, "I believe you" followed by 'let's talk about it'.  When we change our response to when a child reports what is important to them, potentially, we change a child's life.