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Meet Billy. Billy was a little boy in Mrs. Jones's 

class in 3rd grade. Billy got cast as the lead in tehe 

school play, but he was having a hard time getting 

into the shoes of other people. Then Mrs. Jones told 

Billy about something called the "Social 

Imagination."

Mrs. Jones explained that Social Imagination was 

putting yourself in the shoes of other people, to help 

you understand them and what they are going 

through. Mrs. Jones explained that she used social 

imagination to help her students every day. 

Back in the classroom, Mrs. Jones suggested that Billy start 

to read different books, to help him learn what it was like 

to be in the shoes of another person. She suggested that 

Billy read about all different kinds of characters: Pirates, 

astronauts, cowboys, adventurers. Anyone that Billy 

wanted to be, Mrs. Jones told him to read about. 

As Billy left the room, Mrs. Jones thought about how she 

could emphasize with how nervous for the play Billy 

was. Mrs. Jones was using her social imagination. She 

thought about some books that she had read to help her 

understand how important it was for her to have a social 

imagination in her classroom. 

Mrs. Jones went home and began to think about how important 

social imagination was in her classroom. Everyday, to best meet 

the needs of her students, Mrs. Jones had to understand and 

emphasize with all of her students and their families, in order to 

best educate them. She thought about the book Out of My  by 

Sharon Draper, which has opened her eyes to what her students 

were capable of, and helped her to understand that all students 

have great potential if given the right tools and help to get to 

that potential.

She thought about Billy and his friends. They were all very 

different. Some of them had exceptionalities in their learning, 

others were neuro-typical learners, but all had acute differences 

and needs that she had to meet to educate them in the way that 

they best learn. Just as all of the children in books like My Baby 

Rides the Short Bus and Shut Up About Your Perfect Kid, all 

families are different, and all children, whether they have a 

diagnozed disability or not, need special attention and 

consideration when planning lessons. 

From what she learned about using the social imagination, she knew that 

teaching in one way was not a fair way to treat her learners. She thought 

back to the educational theories that she learned in her college days, and 

realized that a combination of these theories, and teaching students in 

many different ways, was the way to reach the potential of all of her 

students, not only those that learned in a certain way or were neuro-

typical, but even students with exceptionalities or unique learning styles. 

She also learned the importance of family and understanding various 

family situations and dynamics as a way to better understand and teach 

her students as family was such a strong and meaningful part of their 

lives. 

Back in her classroom the next morning, as the students 

started to stream in, Mrs. Jones used her social imagination to 

feel the excitement and nerves about the play that she 

imagined her students were experiencing. She knew that all of 

her students were reacting to the stress of the experience 

differently, and all had gotten various types and levels of 

support for the experience from home. She realized the 

important responsibility on her as a teacher to understand and 

meet the needs today, and everyday of all of the students in 

her class.

As Mrs. Jones stood on stage at the end of the play, 

she was so proud of Billy and his friends for playing 

their roles so well. It was obvious that they were 

starting to understand social imagination, just as she 

sought to understand it everyday as a teacher as well.  

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