“So Much More Than Just a Job”: Teacher Shares Note She Got From Student Asking for Food

• A teacher received a note from one of her students who asked her for something to eat
• After filling their tummies, the student sent another message to the teacher to thank her for her kindness
• The interaction between the teacher and her pupil warmed the hearts of many social media users, some who could relate
• An ICT educator spoke to Briefly News about guidelines teachers follow when children ask for food

A young teacher shared on social media that she received a note from one of her students asking for food.

Tavia Daniels, who uses the handle @tavia_daniels on TikTok, shared a picture of the note she received on the popular video-sharing app. On a scrap piece of paper, the student wrote the following:

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"Hi, Miss! Does Miss have anything to eat there, please?"

Tavia likely made a plan and gave the child something to eat, as the following picture in the TikTok post showed a WhatsApp message from the student thanking their teacher for giving them bread.

The young educator said of her post:

"It's so much more than just a job."

Take a look at the pictures of the student's messages below:

ICT educator speaks on feeding hungry children

Jesse Wyngaard – an Information and Communication Technology educator – told Briefly News that while feeding hungry learners is discouraged due to allergies and dietary restrictions, teachers often bend the rules, especially when aware of their difficult circumstances.

The Cape Town-based educator adds:

"Although most low-income schools have feeding programmes, in our case, teachers and staff personally purchase essentials like bread, butter, peanut butter or jam to ensure our students have some sustenance before lessons begin. Sometimes, teachers buy food from the school store or bring things from home.

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"It's well-known that hungry students struggle to concentrate. We've also fostered a culture of sharing among students, where those who have food offer it to those who don't."

Jesse also shared with Briefly News her thoughts on Tavia sharing the story of her student asking for help:

"While I appreciate the good intentions, teachers should avoid publicising stories about feeding students. Many children already struggle to ask for help, and 'advertising' acts of kindness may unintentionally cause embarrassment or damage their self-esteem, even if the stories are anonymous."

Student's note breaks SA's hearts

The video reached many people who felt for the student and commended the woman for her giving nature.

@caronkara applauded Tavia:

"The things we take for granted. God bless you in abundance."

Fellow teacher @liezelflanagan_xoxo wrote:

"Great job. This made me realise that I’m glad my learners have no shame and will ask no matter who’s watching or listening. I already know to take more bread to school."

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When @shelina_says shared that their heart sank after seeing the messages, Tavia responded:

"The crazy thing is that this is not the only learner who asks. My heart hurts every day for them."

@aasiyah05 shared in the comments:

"This is so wholesome."

Tavia thanked netizens for their love and support and shared her plans to help her pupils:

"Later this year, I will also be doing a sanitary pad drive, as many of the girls do not have access to pads at home. Please keep a lookout on my page."

Teacher serves pupils lunch at soup kitchen

In a similar article published in May, Briefly News reported about a thoughtful teacher who dished up a meal for her pupils during break time, creating a makeshift soup kitchen.

Many netizens were touched by the teacher's post and applauded her for caring and attentive to the children's needs even outside the classroom.

Source: Briefly News