The Heart of a Child

Having been a teacher for ten years, I often miss working with students and am always delighted to visit schools. Since I've left the classroom, many wonderful technological advancements (as well as many devastating moments) have been deposited on history’s ever-lengthening path. Today’s students are impacted in ways I never would have dreamed. There were no computers, no iPads or cell phones when I was teaching. There were wars to study, but less of them and though we had fire drills, lockdown was a compound word that hadn't entered the school vocabulary.  With all that has changed, my school visits remind me that the one thing that hasn't changed is the heart of a child.

For the past few years, I've been lucky enough to visit New York City Schools through the  Behind the Book program, a not-for-profit literacy program designed to empower students through a love of reading. 

Kindness. Encouragement. Hope. These are the gifts that children offer me when I visit schools. In addition, the  students at my last Behind the Book adventure signed and sent me my very own copy of Flowers and Thorns, a book they had written and illustrated themselves. A book which revealed the beautiful heart of a child. 

Thank you Kimberly and Kyle for inviting me into this very special classroom and thanks too, to all the Behind the Book volunteers who helped create this masterpiece. I hope the authors Pamela, Hadjaka, Karla, Nivialee, Mahamadou, Filie, Selise, Vivian, Jeylin, Mia, Jose, Alexander G and Alexander H, Jaquelyn, Gianna, Lianny, Carlos, Brianna, Anabel, Allen, Jaelise, Edgar, Hidalvi, Ansoumane, Luis and Shantel continue to let their beautiful voices be heard ~ words can change the world ~ thank you sharing your words with me!

I dedicate this post to all the children whose kindness and empathy make this world a better place!

A few of their names are listed above!