letters to my class

Dear Humans,

We’ve read about protests movements leading to social change in America. Abolitionism, women’s suffrage, and the Civil Rights movement existed because of Americans’ Constitutional right to speak freely, especially when we criticize the government.

But other countries don’t have that freedom. When people protest in some places, their speech is censored or banned. If you’ve been following the protests in China against the country’s zero-Covid policies, you’ve seen this. 

So instead of holding up signs with slogans that will only get censored or banned, Chinese protesters have begun holding up blank pieces of paper. And even though their signs say nothing at all, the fact that they’re gathered together and holding them up says a whole lot.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt

Dear Humans,

I know some of you are watching the World Cup. It’s a great chance to learn about the world. There’s a famous book from the early 2000s called How Soccer Explains the World. And it’s a great title because it’s an idea that is true.

If we pay close attention to a thing–no matter what it is–it can begin to explain the whole world.

And if you’re paying attention to the World Cup, then you can’t avoid topics like migration, money and corruption, geography, and culture. Because this is the first World Cup to take place in the Middle East. In November. In a tiny country (with a controversial human rights record) that has half as many people as Colorado.

We play our games inside white chalk lines, but the world gets in.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt

Dear Humans,

Over 200 years ago, our Constitution set up a system of self-government. Today we perform a task essential to it. We vote. We have a say in who represents us and our communities.

Voting is not the only way to be involved. Susan B. Anthony was barred from voting (and even arrested for trying to do it) and she still made a difference. Our other rights–to speak out, to protest, to petition our government–can also lead to change.

But today is a big deal. Because voting is not just us marking down our own personal preference. It’s us imagining the kind of communities we want for ourselves and our fellow citizens. And that–us caring about the kind of world we live in together–is the heart of self-government.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt

Dear Humans,

There have been a lot of cheating scandals in the news recently. Too-small bags in cornhole tournaments, AI-assisted moves in chess matches, and even lead-weighted walleye in fishing competitions. I guess the prizes and the glory of winning are just too tempting for some people. 

But it’s important to remember that the real prizes in this world are given to us by ourselves. Other people may offer rewards and plaudits, but becoming excellent is its own pleasure. And nothing spoils it faster than cheating.

Because even if you get away with it and “achieve” something you didn’t earn, you can’t ever deceive yourself.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt

Dear Humans,

The best answer to a question is another question. This will irk some people. “Give me a straight answer,” they’ll say. But when people insist on a straight answer, it means they don’t care much about the answer anyways.

Take the simple question “What’s the longest river in the world?” You’d think there’d be a straight answer. But rivers aren’t much interested in answering our questions. Because rivers are always changing, making themselves anew, and they don’t clearly announce where they start and where they end.

And most things in the world  are like that–changing, complex, and uninterested in human questions. So before we can answer a question, we have to ask the question some questions.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt

Dear Humans,

I can tell how well a student will do on an assignment as soon as I put it on their desk. It’s all about body language. Either they’re eager and ready, or they’re passive and ill-prepared.

Skill level matters, of course. If you have the skills to complete an assignment, you’re more excited to complete it. But those skills didn’t just naturally form. They were picked up by the students who were eager to learn them.

Because even if we “deserve” something (and we all “deserve” knowledge), it doesn’t just come to us. We have to take it. There’s enough for all of us, so we don’t have to take it from one another. But we still have to reach for it, grab at it, and make it our own. 

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt

Dear Humans,

We’re learning about the history of corn cultivation. And that means we’re reading one of the oldest stories in human history. It’s a major plot point in the first chapter of the bestselling book of all time!

Throughout history humans have taken things from their environment and reaped great benefits from them. But for every benefit we reap, we also sow the costs that will soon come to harvest. 

Right now there are more humans living longer and more fruitful lives than ever before. And yet, our future seems as uncertain as it ever has.

Those are the costs and benefits. And you’ll spend the rest of your lives weighing them against each other, trying to figure out the best way to live–just like humans always have.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt

Dear Humans,

A couple weeks ago Merriam-Webster yeeted a whole bunch of new words into their dictionary. Yeet–a verb meaning to throw something recklessly–was among the words added.

You probably know a lot of the just-added words. Because new words often get coined by young people who are trying to figure out the best way to make sense of our shared world and the experience of living in it.

And by the time a word gets put into the dictionary, the cool kids aren’t even saying it any more. Anytime I try to use slang, my daughter says, “It isn’t 2018 anymore.”

So don’t ever underestimate your powers of language. You know how to communicate. It’s what humans do–whether the words are in the dictionary yet or not.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt

Dear Humans,

There will always be distractions. The world is vying for your attention. Indeed, some of our biggest companies’ business models depend on it.

But remember that your attention is the most valuable thing you have. Think about the phrase “pay attention.” We don’t “pay” for anything else. We don’t “pay” for breath or movement or heartbeats. (Although those things all require energy.) But we do “pay” attention.

Maybe we ought to change it to “invest” attention. Because what we get in return for our attention can be much more valuable. But it all depends where we put it. Some of us invest our attention in scratch tickets and other get-rich schemes. It’s up to you.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt

Dear Humans,

Yesterday we played what I called “a paying attention game.” But for sure all games are paying attention games. Some people pay attention only when it’s their turn. But good players pay attention all the time. 

Because if you want to be really good at games, you can’t just know what’s in your hand. You have to figure out what’s in other people’s hands. And what’s in their mind.

Life is the same way. If you want to be successful, pay attention all the time, not just when it’s your turn. Because life isn’t about what you know; it’s about what you can figure out.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt