letters to my class

Dear Scientists,

Crazy white hair doesn’t make you a scientist. A white lab coat doesn’t make you a scientist. Spending time in a laboratory surrounded by gurgling beakers doesn’t make you a scientist.

What makes you a scientist is the types of questions you ask about the world. And the ways you go about answering those questions.

I know you each have a ton of questions about the world. You can’t live in it for 10, 11, or 12 years and not. My job as a science teacher is to show you some ways other humans have gone about answering their own questions.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck

Dear Humans,

The best thing we can give one another is a second chance. And third. And fourth. And as many as we need.

Because people change. We live on a planet that’s spinning and orbiting. The plates beneath our feet are literally moving. The water that we depend on for survival is constantly cycling around us. In such a world, it’s impossible not to change!

So as you’re reconnecting with classmates today, give them a chance to change. And instead of treating each other like the people we used to be, let’s treat each other like the people we’re trying to become.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck

Dear Decision Makers,

This is Stevie. Stevie tangled with an insect (we think) and got a big bump on his chin. My wife decided to give him liquid Benadryl to ease the swelling. Math ensued

Google told her to give a milligram of diphenhydramine per pound of cat. So she weighed the cat. The concentration of liquid Benadryl is 12.5mg/ml. So she had to convert. Finally, she had to measure a small amount of liquid as precisely as she could using the the tools we had in our kitchen.

But most importantly she had to make a decision. Should she even give the cat medicine? Should she take her to the vet? Should she trust her math and dose the kitty? In real life, math isn’t about getting the right answer; it’s about gathering the information we need to make a good decision.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck

Dear Readers,

When you read you can’t just think about what happens, you always have to be asking why. You always have to ask how it connects to what’s true in the world outside the book.

That’s an important skill. It’s one that will you serve you well throughout your life–thinking critically, looking for the bigger picture, understanding how complex things can be.

And reading–especially reading fiction–is the best place to practice those skills. That’s why I try to surround myself with readers. Not only do readers know more about the world, but they also ask more interesting questions about it.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck

Dear Humans,

I couldn’t sleep last night because I was thinking about all the troubles I would have on my drive in the morning. I kept picturing myself on the side of the road, waiting for help, not sure what to do next.

But of course everything turned out fine. In fact, everything went better than I could have imagined–green lights, little traffic, pretty clear roads.

Maybe I should try visualizing positive things happening in the future. Do it with me today. Imagine all the questions on your test are ones you know. Imagine all of the adults in your life show patience and all of your peers shows kindness.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck

Dear Humans,

I hate the uncertainty of waiting for a big storm. You’re not sure how bad it’s going to be, you’re not sure if you’ll be able to do things you’d planned to do, and there’s nothing for you to do but wait.

Waiting for something you know is going to happen is one thing. But waiting for something that you’re not sure about is something else altogether.

But maybe the uncertainty of spring has something to teach us. About patience. About taking it one day at a time. About appreciating the clear 80 degree days that often sandwich a half a day of snow and wind.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck

Dear Humans,

Sometimes when I’m cooking dinner I like to pretend I’m hosting my own cooking show. I think about what lines I would say, and I develop a cooking persona–lovable, knowledgeable, cool.

It seems silly, but doing so makes the cooking a little more fun. Otherwise it can be a lot of drudge work–cut this, clean up this, burn this because I forgot about it on the back burner.

Most of all, being my own food show host makes me pay closer attention to what I’m doing. And when we look closely and really think about what we’re doing, it’s almost impossible to be bored.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck

Dear Somebodies,

In the same speech that Martin Luther King Jr. told his audience to sweep streets like Michelangelo, he told them that they must always insist on their own somebodiness.  He told that audience of middle schoolers that they must have “a deep belief in [their] own dignity, [their] worth and [their] own somebodiness.”

We are all somebody. We are all worthy of dignity and respect–not because of our accomplishments or talents, but because we are all human beings. Don’t let anybody treat you as less than the somebody that you are. And, more importantly, don’t treat yourself as less than the somebody that you are.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck

Dear Humans,

What we need in this world are allies–people who have our backs. Because you’re going to find yourself on the side of the road and needing a ride. You’re going to find yourself a few dollars and short needing cash. You’re going to find yourself not knowing what to do and needing someone to call.

The most important decisions I’ve made in life are who I’m going to spend it with. So while I’ve tried to work hard, follow the rules, and make good choices, there’s always a time when we’re going to need someone’s help. The best thing we can do is make sure we surround ourselves with those people.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck

Dear Humans,

“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry.”

Martin Luther King, Jr. said those words to junior high students in 1967. I know they’re still true today. You may not know what you want to do with your life, but if you get into the habit of always working hard, always doing your best, and always taking great pride in what you do, then you will become great in whatever your calling will be.

Our future is shaped by our habits. Each day gives us the opportunity to develop positive habits. Use them.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck