Middle school teacher Julia Brown felt her students needed a way to ask for help without having to talk to her directly, so she came up with a clever idea: the “I need” box. She decorated a box and put it in her classroom as a way for her kids to open up and not have to feel self-conscious by asking the teacher.
Initially, Brown’s students could write down what they need and drop it in the box. This let her know about a bullying situation that she was able to get taken care of. But by the second week, the teacher changed the format so every student visits the box daily to drop a card in, even if they don’t write anything down. And now she says she’s had a “plethora of needs” turned in, ranging from specific supply needs, to seat changes, to after-school help, and even daily hugs.