“In the U.S., I learned to say ‘No, thank you’ instead of ‘Don’t do that.’ And it changed everything.”

Updated: Jul 15

Assalamualaikum. I’m Sarah.

I started as a Brainy Bunch kindergarten teacher in 2021. A year later, I packed my bags to pursue early childhood education in the United States.

And when we got back to class, the homeroom teacher continued the conversation with love and care.attered. Always respectful. Always gentle.

And I’ll be honest: at first, it felt strange.

The classrooms were quiet, but not because of fear. The teachers spoke to the children like they mattered. Always respectful. Always gentle.

They didn’t shout. They didn’t shame.

They’d say things like:

“Safe hands, safe body.”

“No, thank you.”

“How do you feel about your painting?”

One boy showed me a drawing.

Instead of saying “Nice job,” I asked,

“How do you feel about it?”

He smiled and said, “Happy. That’s my mom and our house.”

It hit me.

The way we speak to kids becomes the way they speak to themselves.

Later in a PE class, one child got aggressive. Instead of punishment, the coach gathered everyone and asked:

“How do you think our teamwork was today?”

No blaming. Just reflection.

And when we got back to class, the homeroom teacher continued the conversation—with love and care.

I realized:

This is how you build emotionally strong children.

This is how you create classrooms full of empathy, not fear.

I came from an education system where calling kids out was normal. But in the U.S., they taught me that dignity can be discipline.

To all teachers and parents reading this:

Let’s raise a generation that feels safe, heard, and respected.

Let’s speak with kindness. Because they’re always listening.

— Sarah, Brainy Bunch Alumni

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