🎭 The Mask I Wear – A Class That Unmasked So Much

Today’s class with my 7th graders was not just another psychology session—it became a mirror to their inner world.

The theme was “The Mask I Wear”—a gentle, powerful exploration of how we often show one face to the world, while hiding another underneath. The session began with a story, a simple yet deep tale that sparked thought and self-reflection. And then came the part that left me still, even hours later—the mask drawing activity.

Each child was asked to draw a mask: what the world sees on the front, and what they feel on the back.

And the honesty that poured onto paper was humbling.

Some masks had bright smiles on the front—eyes twinkling, faces glowing—but on the back, they drew tears, anxiety, loneliness, or the pressure to be “perfect.”

Some masks showed the same image front and back—children who perhaps wear no mask, or who haven’t yet learnt to.

Others were confusing, mixed, layered with scribbles and contradictions—just like emotions often are.

Their written reflections and replies added more depth.

One wrote, “I laugh a lot with friends, but sometimes I feel invisible at home.”

Another said, “I am happy outside but overthink a lot when alone.”

These aren't just words. They’re windows.

It reminded me that behind every giggle in the corridor, behind every act of mischief or silence in class, is a story—a mask worn not out of deceit, but often out of necessity.

As a teac
her and guide, it’s a lesson I take to heart: 

Let us not just teach, but also see.

Let us listen—not only to words, but to what goes unspoken.

Let’s create spaces where our students don’t have to wear masks to feel accepted.

Today, the children may have left with coloured drawings and thoughtful expressions, but I am left with a heart full of realization and respect.

We all wear masks sometimes. But it’s in safe classrooms, with kind eyes and open hearts, that we learn it’s okay to gently take them off.