letters to my class

Dear Humans,

Our world loves the idea of secret knowledge. We want to find the hidden truths, reveal the inner workings, unlock the secrets of how the world really works. We watch viral videos about hacking our lives, uncovering the “real” truth of history, and getting rich using tricks “they” don’t want you to know.

But the truth is that most knowledge is freely available for the taking. It’s in the world if we know how to look, and it’s written down in books if we know how to read. 

But it seems like it’s hidden because it takes a lot of time and effort to get it. And if you want to hide something really well, place it behind walls of time and effort. People really don’t like looking there. 

The truth is out there. And it’s also right here. If we take the time and effort to find it.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt

Dear Humans,

Stickers from the grass get stuck in the cuffs of our pants and the laces of our shoes and then they end up in our kitchen rug. And then I go barefoot to make coffee in the morning, step on one and think, “How did that get there?”

The world gets in. No matter how tightly you lock the door or shake your shoes when you cross the threshold, the world still gets in. So we have a responsibility to tend to the outside world. Not only because it’s the right thing, but because we know the outside world will get into our own homes.

The best way to get rid of stickers in the grass is to choke them out with lush, healthy grass. If you water and cultivate the things you want, the things you don’t will go away. But if we leave the world to the weeds, the weeds will always get in.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt

Dear Humans,

Twenty years ago terrorists attacked America, killing over 3,000 people. Anybody who was old enough to remember it, remembers exactly where they were that Tuesday morning.

But the 20 years that came after it are sort of a blur.

That’s why it’s so important to study history–not just the far off history that came before we were born, but the times that we experienced ourselves. Because we go through life at 1,000 miles per hour. We can’t see everything and the things we can see are filled with mystery and uncertainty.

But the past is a little easier to grasp. We still can’t know everything. There are still mysteries about September 11th. But by looking back we can know a whole lot more than we knew at the time. 

And that just might help us know a little more about tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt

Dear Humans,

We stayed at an Airbnb over the weekend, and one morning I woke up early and checked on my daughters sleeping in the basement. I didn’t want to wake them by turning on the light, so, of course, I walked right into a bed and smacked my knee.

But I banged my knee so square on the bed frame that it didn’t hurt that much. Because I didn’t know the layout of the room, I didn’t know what to avoid. If I would’ve had an idea where the bed was and tried to avoid it, I probably would’ve caught the corner and hurt myself a whole lot worse.

Oftentimes in life, we make our worst mistakes when we’re trying our hardest not to make one. But if we walk confidently through life–even through the unlit parts that we’re not too familiar with–it won’t hurt as much when we fall.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt

Dear Humans,

The other day I was filling up my car with gas when a loud advertisement popped up on a screen on the pump. I couldn’t figure out how to turn it off, so I had to pump my gas while being screeched at.

Pop-up ads and autoplay videos on the internet, talk radio blaring from other cars in traffic, televised advertisements in the checkout line at the grocery store. We live in a noisy world. And all this noise keeps us from having the time and attention for deep thought.

So anytime we can get a break from the noise, we should take it. In school, we try to provide some of that time. A time when it can just be you and your thoughts during writing. A time when it can just be your thoughts and a book during reading. 

Real learning requires quiet reflection. Embrace the quiet times.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt

Dear Humans,

Labor Day–It’s a nice day to buy a mattress or a new outfit at Kohl’s. But it has a real purpose as well. It’s a day we think about workers and the movement to protect workers.

Not that long ago a lot of people had to work 6 or even 7 days a week. Conditions could be bad and pay was lousy. For some, conditions and pay are still rough today. But a lot of people have suffered and fought hard for better working conditions for themselves and for everyone else. Yesterday was the day we honor them.

You’ll spend a lot of your life working. You’ll do it to pay your bills, but you’ll also find that work is one way to shape your life and become the person you want to be. So it’s important that you can do it safely and with freedom.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt

Dear Humans,

We often say “I’ll believe it when I see it,” but we really ought to turn that around. Because we really only see things that we already believe.

And then we bury those beliefs deep inside ourselves and imagine they’re a natural part of who we are. And we refuse to change them or even challenge them.

We probably spend too much time in schools trying to fill your mind with information and not enough time teaching you how to change your mind. We probably spend too much time teaching you how to know things and not enough teaching you how to learn things–and unlearn things. We probably put too much emphasis on certainty, and not enough on doubt.

The truth is that changing your mind about things is a superpower. Because it allows you to see things that used to be hidden.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt

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

Dear Humans,

People are like incandescent lightbulbs. We’ve got all these parts–filaments, bases, wires, and inert gases–but what really matters is the light we give off. In fact, when a lightbulb is lit up, you can’t even see those parts because the light obscures them. All of these pieces and parts have to work together correctly, but, in the end, what matters is the light that the bulb puts out into the world.

Humans, of course, are even more complex than lightbulbs. But we’re also judged by the light we emit. Like lightbulbs, we’re also wildly inefficient and require a ton of energy to create even our meager light. But we do it because it’s dark out there, and we need each other’s light.

So, shine on. And don’t put too much thought on how bright your light is. In the darkness, any light will do.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt

Dear Humans,

Being a kid means living under someone else’s rules. And it’s not always fun. You want to make your own rules. You want to make your own choices. You want to be independent.

But you’ll have plenty of time in life for that. And sometimes it’s great–you get to eat cookies whenever you want. But the thing they don’t always tell you about freedom and independence is that you’ll also have to deal with the consequences by yourself. Good luck falling asleep with a belly full of cookies.

So, for now, be grateful for the limits that adults give you. And pay attention to them. Caring adults set limits to try to teach you how to set your own. Because freedom isn’t just being able to choose whatever you want for yourself. Freedom is mostly setting your own limits on the choices you make. And then dealing with the consequences.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt