Dear Humans,

When I meet up with former students, they often tell me that they wish they would have been better students in my class. “I wish I would have worked harder” or “I wish I would have listened better.”

I don’t accept those apologies. Because they’re unnecessary. Sure, they could have finished a few more math assignments. And if they would’ve listened better I might have a few hairs left on my head. But I know they did the best they could at the time. 

And the truth is that after these conversations with former students, I often think to myself, “Gee, I wish I would have been a better teacher to these kids.” Even though I too was doing the best I could at the time.

So we face the future–the only direction we can face–and do our best each day. And we hope our past failures make today’s best a little better than it was yesterday.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt