I really like that there is more than one teacher. I feel comfortable around them. I’m able to talk to them about things in my personal life and my school life. They’re very understanding. They just get it! They don’t act like all that matters is school. They care about you as a whole person, how you feel and what you need. If you need more time, they’ll give it to you. If you don’t do well on an assessment, they’ll show you where you went wrong and try to help you learn from it and fix it for next time. They just make you feel accepted as you. Each of them has a different personality, so at different times I can go to a different teacher.
Our teachers are best friends, they’re always laughing and having fun with each other (even though they can get serious sometimes!). They don’t seem so intimidating. They are just being them! I think they are the same when they’re talking to other teachers. They’re not pretending to be someone else with us. It makes us feel more comfortable knowing that they are them. They aren’t afraid to tell us things that they've done, mistakes they’ve made or things going on in their lives.
Having a classroom support teacher has been really helpful. She’s comforting, understanding, and just there whenever you need her. She created a lunch time group that focuses on each person’s individual needs and what they need in order to thrive. It’s made me feel like I don't need to be scared to go to someone with problems I have, mistakes I’ve made, or when I need help. Normally, I have a hard time asking for help when I need it, but having her there all the time makes me more comfortable doing that. She always has the time for every single person who needs her, anytime.
I had gone through some really bad stuff before coming here. Getting to know the teachers and students here has made me understand that everyone isn’t judging me. It’s okay to cry in front of people. In this community, people take the time to help you, make sure you’re okay and see what you need. The strategies I have learned this year are going to help me carry on and be resilient with things that might come in the future. This year has boosted my confidence a lot. I can be comfortable in being myself in front of my teachers and classmates. They’re empathetic and understanding.
I feel like if I stayed at my old school I would have fallen deeper into a hole. The Peter Greer community grabbed a big crane, dug me out, and helped set me on my way. I really like how it’s a team effort here. Everyone works together. I’m going to have kids one day and they’re going to ask me what my school was like. I’m going to say it was pretty easy to get through with the people, the teachers, and everyone who supported me and helped me along the way. I wish I could take my teachers with me to middle school. The connection I have made with them this year is deeper than ones I have had with teachers I have known for years.
Irelyn, Grade 6 Student
Peter Greer Elementary