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For a long time, I worked with a school which was entirely day. Learners would come to school in the morning at around 6:30am and would leave at around 6pm in the evening. 

In this school, there was a culture of children taking home work assignments and class teachers had the responsibility of ensuring that all children returned the work for marking and results are compiled on assessment.

One day after receiving incomplete homework from most of the learners in my class, I wanted to know my. So I asked them to write a letter to me based on the prompt,"I wish my teachers knew", explaining why this had happened. 

As you might imagine, pupils can get quite personal, and what they say or write in an atmosphere of belief and trust can be intense to read and process. 

Here is what some of them wrote. 

I wish my teacher knew that I sometime go back home and I am required to bathe my siblings, wash my uniforms, stockings and polish my shoes and those of my siblings then prepare tea for my parents before they return from work. By the time I finish it already 8:00pm that's when I settle to do homework and the extra work of the four subjects.

I wish my teachers knew that many times I start on my homework immediately I reach home but because it is too much, I can't finish it in time and when my mother returns and finds me doing it all she says is "You have been watching TV since you came back and now you have failed to finish the home work. ", even when I have not watched TV and this makes me feel sad, demotivated and at times hide my work even if it's incomplete the moment I notice she is at the gate because I am afraid she might beat me.

I really wish my teachers knew what some of us go through to have at least the biggest percentage of the assignments done by the time we come to school. Sorry to say this but I really hate it when some teachers become too tough on us without realising what we actually go through. Seeing them come to class when they're annoyed really scares us a lot._

I wish my teachers knew that we also need time to relax our minds. We are given too much work to do within a very short time and yet we have other duties to attend to as children at home. Yet some go ahead to punish us when we hand in incomplete work. Let them remember what they always say; "Work without play ......."

I wish my teacher knew that my mother and my dad separated. I now live with my mother. I miss my father because he was very special to me. I was free with him. He used to give me advice and now I am all alone. My mother is tough. She can never appreciate my hard work at all even when I try my level best. Whatever happens at home, I am to blame. So it is a bit hard for me to concentrate and finish my homework at home and that's why I am always figgiting to do it in class during lessons.

I wish my teacher knew that when he gives us home work, other teachers also give us home work too and they put too much pressure on us and yet we aren't given enough time to finish. And because of the too much home work that we have to finish before the next morning, some of us go to bed very late sometimes past midnight which is why I sometime I dose off in class.

How well do you know and understand your learners? 

I wish you knew what your students wish you knew about them. There is a lot of limitations hampering their readiness to learn or complete their class assignments. Find out what it is then you will teach them right.