The Backpack Drop Zone: One Sixth-Grade Truth That Exposed Our Quiet Crisis

my desk drawer and pulled out a stack of blank index cards.

I started walking down the rows, handing one to each student.

“Write one thing,” I said. “One thing you wish adults understood about being your age right now.”

Their faces shifted.

This wasn’t the same as yesterday. This was less raw.

But it was still truth.

“And this time,” I added, “you can put continue reading …