--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Teachers need to sit with their journal…" description: "\"“Teachers need to sit with their journal and write in the voice of that teenager. Write and remember. That’s who we teach!”\" — Penny Kittle" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fb/penny-kittle-55347_education_teachers-need-to-sit-with-their-journal_2811000.jpg" --- # Teachers need to sit with their journal and write in the… ![“Teachers need to sit with their journal and write in the voice of that teenager. Write and remember. That’s who we teach!” quote by Penny Kittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fb/penny-kittle-55347_education_teachers-need-to-sit-with-their-journal_2811000.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fb/penny-kittle-55347_education_teachers-need-to-sit-with-their-journal_2811000.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fb/penny-kittle-55347_education_teachers-need-to-sit-with-their-journal_2811000.jpg) > ““Teachers need to sit with their journal and write in the voice of that teenager. Write and remember. That’s who we teach!”” [Penny Kittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-kittle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Teachers must empathize with students by writing from their perspective to truly understand them. **In simple terms:** Empathy through perspective writing. Key Takeaway Write from student viewpoint. Themes education empathy perspective communication Mood compassionate instructive Type educational reflective When to use this quote - teacher journals - student interviews - role‑play exercises - reflective essays - peer feedback Key Concepts pedagogy psychology of learning creative writing Questions to Reflect On - How can teachers deepen empathy beyond writing? - What other tools aid understanding? A Different Perspective Writing may not capture all student experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Mentorship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mentorship/) [Teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher/) [Teenagers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teenagers/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) ## Related quotes > [I don't keep a journal anymore. 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I write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-militello/i-write-because-i-die-again-and-again-at-the-hands-of-a-world-that/) Jennifer Militello ## More by Penny Kittle > [“Teenagers want to read - if we let them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-kittle/teenagers-want-to-read-if-we-let-them/) [Penny Kittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-kittle/) > [“A reading appetite is quirky, singular, and essential”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-kittle/a-reading-appetite-is-quirky-singular-and-essential/) [Penny Kittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-kittle/) > [“Habits of an empowerED teacher: “read, notice, think, make theories about how writing works, imagine possibilities, write yourself; it isn’t magic, it’s just slow,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-kittle/habits-of-an-empowered-teacher-read-notice-think-make-theories-about/) [Penny Kittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-kittle/) > [“What power--what importance--lies in the blank lines of an open notebook. 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