The Truth Be Told: My 3 Dads

In this heartwarming and humorous episode of Let’s Talk Teacher to Teacher, Dr. Gina Pepin shares the story of a second grader who proudly announced, “I have three dads!” after seeing a picture of their speech and language pathologist’s very tall family. What started as giggles about height turned into a powerful reminder of the diverse ways students define family.

Through this spontaneous moment of storytelling, Dr. Gina highlights how authentic connections spark literacy, belonging, and voice—without the need for a worksheet or prompt. Listeners will walk away inspired to honor student narratives, embrace family diversity, and recognize everyday classroom conversations as literacy in action.

✨ Takeaways:

• Why listening matters more than prompting
• How oral storytelling builds literacy skills
• Ways to celebrate the families who shape our students

Check out more at www.ginapepin.com

Transcript

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Welcome back to Let's Talk Teacher to Teacher, where we share the real stories from our schools, the ones that remind us why we do this work. I'm Dr. Gina Pepin, a literacy specialist and a proud collector of these hilarious, heartfelt things that kids say. Today's episode is is titled, My Three Dads. Listening to the stories that shape our students. And yes, this one starts with a very tall twist. So it all began with a picture. We were looking at photos during a morning meeting, pictures of staff and their families. One caught everyone's attention. Our speech and language pathologist was standing with her husband and their two extremely tall sons, both six foot eight. They were towering over her like gentle giants. Naturally, the room exploded with second grade commentary. Whoa, that's like taller than a door. Can they fit in cars? Do they eat like a hundred pancakes? And then one student raised his hand and said, totally unprompted, that's just like me. I have three dads too. The room got really quiet and I said, three dads? Tell us more. And this is what he shared. I have my first dad, who is my real dad, and he lets me ride his four-wheeler. Then I have my stepdad, who lives with us now. He makes the best grilled cheese ever. And my bonus dad is my mom's friend. He's not really a dad, but he always comes to my baseball games and he buys the big Gatorades. And just like that, this student created a whole narrative, humorous, clear, and deeply personal, about love, belonging and how he experiences his family it wasn't part of a formal lesson there wasn't no writing prompt no rubric it was just a moment where a child saw something a picture and made a connection to his life that's true literacy that's meaning making and that is voice and here's what I was reminded of that day students don't always wait for a journal prompt to tell their story They share when they feel safe, seen, and heard. And if we listen, really listen, we learn more than any assessment could ever show us. This child was using oral language to shape a personal narrative, define relationships, and organize his world. All the building blocks of powerful writing and reading comprehension. So here's your takeaway this week. Celebrate the family your students come from, no matter how many dads or moms or bonus people they have. Let students talk. Let them tell their stories out loud. Recognize those spontaneous moments as literacy in action. And always, always honor their voices. Whether it's four wheelers, grilled cheese, or Gatorade at a baseball game, these stories really matter. And so do the kids who tell them. Thanks for joining me on Let's Talk Teacher to Teacher. I'm Dr. Gina Pepin, reminding you that behind every unexpected comment is a story worth hearing, and if we take the time to listen. Until next time, keep celebrating the families who shape your students, and maybe keep an eye out for those quietly towering 6'8 teens in those family photos. Until next time.