letters to my class

Dear Humans,

It takes a few seconds for my phone to connect to my car and it is very frustrating. Because I can’t even back out of my driveway until the music or podcast has begun.

But then I think about the first car I drove and what it took to listen to my Pearl Jam CDs. Flipping through a giant binder, popping one into a knockoff Discman, plugging a tape adapter from the headphone jack to the tape deck, flipping to the correct AUX source, and finally skipping to my preferred track.

Technology improves, but our expectations of it grow even faster, so it seems like nothing gets better at all. But it does.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt

Dear Humans,

This week we’re taking standardized tests. I make sure the test ss fairly administered and give my pedometer a workout while pacing up and down the aisles. You show all that you know, keep a good attitude about it, and do your best.

And though the truth is that standardized test scores correlate with future educational and professional success, that’s only true for the average student. And in my 16 years of teaching, I’ve never once had that student in my class.

As individuals, our job is to do our best to defy the norm, buck the trend, and outdo the expected. And though the skills that a standardized test measures might help us do that, it takes a whole lot more as well.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt

Dear Humans,

You’ve probably heard a lot about today’s eclipse. I’ve heard and read umbraphiles (that’s what you call eclipse chasers) rave about the life-changing experience of being in the path of totality. One person compared it to “traveling through space” because of the unique perspective it gives you of the heavens. 

But what really strikes me is how explainable and ordinary it really is. The Moon has orbited Earth every month for about four billion years. But every once in a while it lines up just right and in a specific place and time you experience pure magic.

And I think maybe that’s how magic always happens. Something easily explainable, and yet the human experience of it feels like so much more.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt

Dear Humans,

The other day I was cutting pool noodles in half lengthwise to turn into roller coaster tracks for our science activity. And the first noodle I cut with my utility knife was the ugliest cut ever. Jagged and foam everywhere. A pure disaster.

So I changed the razor blade. And it made all the difference. The new blade cut through the foam like butter, and I finished the job in just a few minutes. 

Sometimes it’s as easy as putting in a new blade. But most things we do in life are not as simple and straightforward as cutting foam pool noodles in half. And most of our problems can’t be solved by simply changing our razor blades. 

But it’s still wise to keep our blades sharp. 

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt

Dear Humans,

Yesterday afternoon I was driving west to stuff my face full of Taco Bell, and I noticed the mountains were about as clear as I’ve ever seen them. Even my teenage daughter, who might not notice if the sun exploded, said, “The mountains look bigger today.”

And they did. Bigger and clearer and closer. So that it felt like we were right next to them, even though we were over 75 miles away. 

And it’s nice every once in a while to look up from our Crunchwrap Supremes and see the wonder that surrounds us. And remember where we are, which might get us thinking about who we are, and before we finish that last bite of Crunchwrap Supreme we might just start thinking about why we are.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt

Dear Geometers,

Yesterday we classified triangles and I was adamant that a triangle is never, ever a triangle just because it looks like a triangle; it’s a triangle because it has the properties of a triangle. 

Because a triangle is an idea more than a real thing. Sure, they may show up in the real world and they can be useful for explaining the real world, but when we’re in geometry class we live in the world of ideas. It’s a sandbox of perfection and order and rules and proofs. 

And the geometer’s sandbox is a fun place to play around, test things out, and exist in an alternate reality of ideas, far away from our real world of complexity and limits.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt

Dear Humans,

I love April Fools’ Day because I like pranks and jokes. Because at their heart is the unexpected. We think we know what’s going to happen, and then boom…the punchline or prank surprises us. And I think we could all use a bit more of that in our lives. 

I like a predictable schedule as much as anyone, but constant predictability gives us the false sense that we have a lot more control over our lives than we really do. The unexpected reminds us to be humble. And humility is the only place where we can learn new things.

So be on the lookout for the unexpected today and tomorrow and every day after. And when it comes, give it a chuckle.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt

Dear Humans,

Some of you might dye eggs this weekend. If you do, you’ll be part of a long tradition of humans decorating egg shells. One that shows up in many different cultures and that could be up to 60,000 years old.

Because there’s just something about eggs. Symbols of life and rebirth, a white canvas for painting or dyeing, and an appealing oval shape. But also fragile. And artists love to create in that tension between the permanent and fleeting.

Today we’ll learn about Pysanky, which is a central part of cultural life in Ukraine. But egg decorating is everywhere. And when humans in different times and places do similar things, it’s worth our time to sit up, pay attention, and wonder why.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt

Dear Humans,

Yesterday we learned the word self-sufficiency. Those New Englanders tried to be self-sufficient–to provide all they needed for themselves. But as their towns grew, they found they had to rely on others to provide the things they needed.

And we read “Ox Cart Man” by Donald Hall. Though that New England farmer made much of what he needed, he also sold extra items to buy the things he couldn’t make. Such as knives that may have come from factories in England or sugar from the West Indies.

Economics connects us across the globe. We are interdependent, relying on people we will never meet, just as they rely on us. That’s always been the case, but it’s more true now than ever before.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt

Dear Humans,

Today we’ll read about New England town meetings. It’s an important part of our history as a country that’s ruled by the people. That means that we all get together to decide what our rules are rather than just have them decided by a king. 

It’s not a perfect system. Some people still have more power than others. But it’s a whole lot better than some other things humans have tried.

But it takes work and it takes compromise. True freedom is not getting your way every time. Rather, it’s learning about your neighbors’ points of view, sharing ideas, and coming to something that everybody can live with. As we’ll learn, the Puritans weren’t always too good at that.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt