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This video is such a deep and heavy reminder that our students need us in more ways than just learning academics. Every single day these students come into our classrooms hoping that we can be the small glimmer of light in their day, because as the little girl said, to them it seems like it is always darkness.
I really liked at the end how the girl said "my past is not my fault, and it does not have to be what defines my future." Sometimes students with troubled pasts can be the hardest to build relationships with since they keep themselves so guarded, but as she said, we need to remember that is not their fault. However, something I always remind my students is that we need to GROW from our setbacks and not let them hold us down. I hope any of my students struggling in any way can rewrite their story.

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This video is short but so powerful. This video made me think about my students and their life outside of school and how heartbreaking it can be. I believe it is crucial for us as teachers we show up for these kids and show them that we care for them. We can be that positive role model for these kids and create a safe and welcoming environment. School should be a place where they do not have to worry, they can be a kid, and they can have a trusted adult to communicate with if they need to.

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This video was difficult to watch. We have students like this all the time. Students try to tell us by behaviors that happen. It is our job as educators to help all students feel safe and loved while they are at school. I always try to build relationships with my students right away and continue making those relationships grow throughout the year. We don't always know what their home life is like but we can control what their life is like at school.

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This Video!!!!! This pulled at every heart string. Mother, educator, human. I have an 8 year old daughter with long hair who loves her baby sister more than anything. It was impossible not to imagine if my own were in this horrible situation. I cried multiple times throughout this video, the first was at the 43 seconds mark when the girl was dressing her little brother. An everyday task that she did with love and compassion. I loved her statement "Feet safe, roots started to grow, little buds of hope for me."

We as educators can help student find a safe place at school. We can give them the opportunity to make connections and develop the feeling of hope. We need to remember to give second and third chances for these kids who expect us to give up on them.

Powerful video. Thanks for sharing.

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What a heavy watch. This was really difficult to see and even more so from the perspective of the child. I think the toughest part of watching this video is that I was able to think of a few students who have been in similar situations. It really just furthers the idea that we don't know everything that our students are going through and it is important to give grace and make school feel like a safe place they can come to with consistency. For another class, I am reading a book that has the quote, "Kid's do well if they can." (Ross Greene). This made me think of Zoe. Clearly she isn't in the mindset for learning so it is important teachers to empathize with that and understand what needs she needs to have met before she can be in the appropriate headspace.

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This video brought forward so many emotions for me watching this. I immediately thought of a few students that have possibly been in similar situations. Heartbreaking to say the least. I know day in and day out kids are bringing so much baggage with them to school and then we ask them to preform at their best each day. We somtimes do not know all the things that are going on behind closed doors or how they truly are feeling. It makes me think and take a step back and just want to hug those kids and tell them how much they matter to me and that I see them and I love them. So much of teaching isn't teaching it's all the other things. And about all else relationships are what matter the most.

This video made my mama heart break! I love my little guy more than life itself and to think that some kids don't get that same kind of love makes me swell with tears.

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This was such a difficult video to watch.
Sometimes we as educators get so caught up in preparing our students to perform on all of these high stakes tests that we forget that a test is the farthest thing from our students' minds.  We, as the school, are a place that is safe and loving, where their needs are met and they are allowed to be a child.  We are where they get a warm meal and a hug, compassion and love.
We need to provide a student their basic needs before they can be expected to learn their school work.
As a special education teacher, I am given more one-on-one time with my students.  There are some days that we don't work on math or reading, we simply talk through situations that are happening at home and what can be done here at school to help that situation.
I hope that I can be the safe place for my students with a rough home life, thankfully none as rough at Zoe, that I'm aware of, but I know not all of my students get told each they that they are loved. I hope I can show that love to my students.

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This video reminds us that our students may come from a trauma that we will not be aware of. Although the video did not address how the subject functioned in school, it did a good job at connecting trauma/memories to present trauma. Perhaps watching the video without sound or subtitles would have laid out the message differently. The subject's narration was sophisticated and yet a young person sees trauma like a moving picture of events and moments. It was a powerful video and helps educators realize that when a student enters your classroom, they enter it with everything that they have experienced prior to entering the classroom. A traumatized brain is not always ready for the teacher's agenda of learning.

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This video shows a sad truth into what may be happening in students' lives outside of school, which is completely heartbreaking. The responsibilities, feelings, and trauma is so much more than they should be having to deal with. The little girl saying that no matter what you ask that you still cannot know what it is like to be her. Relationships with your students at school are so important, because even if a student feels like no one can understand them, they will be able to feel some form of safety or love with you working to be there for them. You never know what a child is going through, so having grace and showing what is it like to be cared for goes so far.

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"The glimmer of light gives me hope!" I have many students who come to school and it is the best part of their day by a long way. Their home life plays into their day at school--they can feel upset, you can see the tunnels through their eyes as you teach the content, many of them can smile and "fake it until they make it" whereas others are a constant emotional rollercoaster--and it isn't their fault! We must do all we can as educators to build relationships with our students to help them feel connected, seen and heard. It is important to check in, even when we think they are okay! This is the part of education where my heart is, making a difference in their lives. They may not remember the strategies I taught them for solving x,y,z but they'll remember the cheer up cards with a candy bar I put on their desk when I noticed their sadness, the lunch clubs with their friends in the classroom, the walking and talking together at recess, the PATIENCE to always listen!

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Wow!  This video was so incredibly powerful. While I was watching, a few of the students I work with or have worked with popped into my head, and this video was a good reminder that behaviors in children can be very complicated and can arise because of many different reasons including a difficult home life or past trauma. The little girl stated in the video, "I am unseen, unheard, unwanted.  That is what I am, if even I am anything." Although we can't know everything happening in a student's life, nor can we necessarily control it, it is crucial to build a relationship and provide a safe and loving environment for them at school. We can make sure they feel seen, heard, and wanted. Sometimes the best thing we can do for a student is just continually showing up and being there for them.

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I have seen this video multiple times. It never once gets easier and never fails to make me sad. what really always tugs on my heartstrings is in the beginning about how no matter what if we ask and listen we can't truly comprehend because we ourselves aren't going through it and experiencing it the same way as that student and we never will. Each student comes with their own unique history, feelings, and thoughts which is something we as educators learn to juggle and adapt to fit into teaching. I think of all the students I have come into contact with throughout my first year teaching, student teaching, and subbing. It hits very close to a particular student who still reaches out to this day. It really shows just how much a single positive influence can change a person much like the last foster parent. It also puts into perspective how no matter what I can read about a student they still have their own feelings, reactions, and emotions about every thing and how no matter what things can trigger them. The message I get from the video is to try and make a positive save space in my classroom for anyone can grow, learn, and feel comfortable in. Zoe is a case that I will see as an educator but that doesn't mean that any of my other students aren't struggling with personal issues just like I might.

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This video is probably the daily lives for many of my students. Many students have a home life of such disarray whether that is a foster home, home less, abuse in the house, substance abuse, etc. Students with trauma can struggle to trust adults, especially those that are in and out of their lives. Some experiences can also trigger that trauma in a student even when the adults intention was not to bring up bad memories. Teachers and coaches can make a world of difference for a student. As a coach, I get to help students not only athletically, but also help them build character. School and athletics could be a student's one safe and dependable space during their day. When a student is late to school or late to practice, I try not to jump to conclusions and talk to the student. We all have bad days, moments, time periods but kids are still kids and are relying on adults to help them and give them another chance if they reacted wrong.

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This video was so beautiful and an accurate representation of what many of my students are going through. I have some students in the foster care system and I can only imagine how they are feeling when they come to school. School is often the only constant part of their life and it is so important to keep that in mind when guiding your instruction, procedures and daily interactions with your students. I loved that Zoe's foster parent encouraged her to take ownership of her life and make it her own. Something we can do in our classroom that is similar is to give all students a space that they feel confident, comfortable and independent in their learning identity. School can be a space where students can learn, grow, feel a sense of belonging and strengthen their autonomy in their decisions and choices. I hope to give all my students the same care and grace that Zoe deserves and was seen by her foster mom.

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I had seen this video once before and it definitely doesn't get easier to watch. I think what makes it so difficult to watch is the similarities between this girl and students I have come into contact with. The inner dialogue of this young girl is heartbreaking and causes me to reflect on how I have interacted with students in similar situations. I like to think that I have made myself available as a trusting and loving adult. After watching this, I must remember that no matter how often I show up or try to help, they still can feel "unseen, unheard, and unwanted." These students feel "trapped" and it is often so consuming that they truly don't think there is a way to get out. They can't even picture a better tomorrow. At the end, when she talks about the "glimmer of light give me hope" it makes me want to be that glimmer of light for others.

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Wow. This video was extremely sad and also very powerful. It made me wonder how many of the students that I have had, have experienced situations similar to this. When I was watching this, I kept thinking about how that poor little girl is misunderstood. She is angry, sad, and scared. Her behavior stems from that, and nobody in her life seems to understand that. All kids need one positive person in their life to be there for them. One person can make the difference. This is why it is so important as educators to build positive relationships with the students. When I have a student in my class who is acting out, I need to remember that there is likely a reason for this. Regardless, I need to be there for all of my students and be that one positive adult influence in their life.

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I found this video heartbreaking. It hit a little close to home thinking about a former student who was removed from her family. This video really put that whole experience into perspective and helped me to better understand what she might have been going through. I hate to think about any student being in this situation or to experience any trauma and it is an important reminder for us as educators to provide strong positive relationships for students. We all need someone in our lives who we can depend on. It is important for educators to understand trauma and how trauma impacts all aspects of an individuals life. We cannot presume to understand how individuals feel based on our own experiences or the experiences of others, but we can listen and be supportive. We can be that constant in their life. When they walk through our doors, we need to ensure that all students know they are loved, safe, and cared for.

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This video is extremely powerful. It seems that people so often see an exterior behavior and automatically become defensive of the behavior, rather than understand why the behavior exists. The students that come through our schools experience many hard situations that they carry with them. As teachers, we are people who are a constant in our students lives and by taking the time to build a strong, trusting relationship and truly understand a student can make such a difference. The quote by Russel Barkley, "The kids who need the most love will ask for it in the most unloving ways" came to my mind while reflecting on this video.

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This video was so hard to watch. To even think that kids we see on a daily basis have to go through these things is horrifying. Kids should NEVER have to go through these experiences. As a teacher, this just goes to show how important making relationships with your students truly is. This little girl didn't have a strong positive relationship with adults and didn't know how to accept love. I can't even imagine being sent to multiple homes to live without her brother that she was used to having right by her side. This video just makes me think that as teachers, we can be that one positive role model in our students' lives, so giving every child a chance is a MUST.