( CNN ) It 's the simplest possible assignment , but it always teaches a huge lesson . Every year , Denver teacher Kyle Schwartz passes out Post-it notes to her third grade students and asks them to complete the sentence , `` I wish my teacher knew ... '' Many of the students she teaches at Doull Elementary just wish they had something in common with her , that she knew soccer or video games . But sometimes , their wishes bring tears to her eyes , and offer a glimpse of painful struggles in their young lives . There 's a student who misses her father : `` I have n't seen him in six years . '' Another who wants to tell her she 's lonely : `` I do n't have friend to play with me . '' Still another who wants to explain why her reading log goes unsigned : `` My mom is not around a lot . '' And other who has big hopes for the future : `` I want to go to college . '' The assignment sprang from the kinds of conversations teachers have all the time , Schwartz said : `` What do our students need ? How can we best serve them ? '' Schwartz always gives her students the option to write their names on their notes or remain anonymous ; of sharing them only with her , or with the entire class . It surprises her how often students stand up and want to read their wishes out loud , like the shy student who shared , `` I wish my teacher knew I 'm nervous all the time . '' `` They feel respected , they feel safe enough to share some of these more sensitive ones , '' said Schwartz , who has been teaching for three years . `` Kids can share what they feel comfortable with . '' Recently , Schwartz began to post some students ' responses on Twitter using the hashtag # IWishMyTeacherKnew . It spread , as teachers around the country tried it with their own classrooms . They sometimes reveal what kids are most worried about right now , like the child whose mother was sick , or another who had just experienced bullying . One student just wants more attention from the teacher . Sometimes , they have a little fun : `` I wish my teacher knew how to do a backflip . '' Occasionally , students want to reassure their teachers that that they 're doing a great job . There 's a lot for teachers to learn , too : `` They are KIDS who deal with a lot as they grow up , '' one educator posted on Twitter . Schwartz said she 's learned not to assume what her students wish . Although most of the students at her school live in poverty , not every message is about a material need . There 's no pressure to share something they 're not ready to talk about , she said , and `` they 're acutely aware of their own needs . '' Through assignments like this , she is , too . As her idea spread , many Twitter users asked how they can help to support her students . She 's pointed them toward a DonorsChoose.org fund where she posts a classroom project wish list . So far , most have been fulfilled .
Denver teacher SchwartzKyle Schwartz asked students to share what they wish she knew . Their honest answers moved Kyle Schwartz and sparked a discussion online .