letters to my class

Dear Learners,

The other day my daughter filled her nightstand drawer so full of stuff that she couldn’t open it. I stuck a flathead screwdriver in the crack to push the stuff down so I could slide the drawer open. A flathead screwdriver is a useful tool, but I almost never use it for its intended purpose of driving screws.

Your mind is like a flathead screwdriver. In school we try to teach you how to use that screwdriver well, but we can’t prepare your for all the jobs you’re going to have to use it for in the future.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck

Dear Humans,

I don’t know about you, but some days I feel like nothing works. A lesson doesn’t go well, you do poorly on an assignment, people aren’t listening to you, and you overcooked the pork roast. Some days, it feels like nothing you do matters much.

But life always gives us more opportunities. Today may have been rough, but tomorrow is another chance for a new lesson, another meal, and another opportunity to make some kind of difference in the world.

Stay hopeful,

Mr. Heimbuck

Dear Readers,

When humans first started reading and writing, they mostly did it to keep track of how much wheat they grew and who it belonged to. But soon, they started asking questions about gods and goddesses and the Big Questions of life.

You’ll need to read and write to pay your bills, keep a job, and act like a law-abiding citizen, but, more importantly, you’ll read and write to live a life full of ideas, questions, and the urge to think beyond the world that presents itself to us.

My hope for each of you is that you gain the tools to explore that invisible world of ideas.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck

Dear Humans,

It’s really hard to change people’s minds. Just telling someone to do something doesn’t usually work.

But humans do respond to their environment. And we tend to do what the people around us do.

So, if you want the students in your school to be kind, you need to do all you can to create a kind environment in your school. If you want your classroom to be peaceful and inclusive, you need to do all you can to create that kind of place.

It’s difficult to make change in the world, but none of us are powerless.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck

Dear Listeners,

We each have a story to tell. As classmates, our job is to listen to one another’s stories and help one another tell those stories. Today we’ll start with an important one: the story of our names.

Listen closely to your classmates’ stories. They deserve to be heard. If we do not tell our own stories, then someone else will tell them for us. And they will get to decide what is important in our lives.

We all deserve to tell our own stories, and we all deserve to have them heard.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck

Dear Students,

When you grow up and think back on 4th grade, you won’t remember what kind of shoes your classmates wore, you won’t remember their outfits, you won’t remember their test scores, and you might not even remember what their faces look like.

But you will remember if your classmates were kind to you. And you will definitely remember if they were not.

We all want to be remembered. And nothing lasts longer than kindness and compassion.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck

Dear Humans,

Raise your hand if you’ve had an adult tell you, “Life’s not fair”? Well, they’re right. I was a bit lazy earlier this week and didn’t shovel my front walk. Because of the way my house faces, it was an icy mess this morning. But my neighbors across the street had bone dry walks, even though they didn’t shovel. Life isn’t fair.

But as humans, one of our jobs is to find the places we can make life more fair.  We can’t make the sun travel across the sky in the opposite direction, but there are other things we can do to make life more fair. We make laws and rules. They can’t make life perfect, but they can make it more fair.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck

Dear Students,

It’s been cold and snowy these past few days. But by early next week, the weather should turn and all of this snow should melt. And then my car will probably drive itself to the car wash because it’ll know it needs a bath.

One of our jobs as humans is to learn to live with the changes that are always going on around us. Paying attention to the outside world helps. So do words. They remind us that nothing lasts for long. Everything is always in the process of turning into something else.

Learning to see these changes and learning to live with them is a key to the good life.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck

Dear Students,

I always dread driving in the snow. My little two-wheel drive sedan can slipslide a bit at stops and starts. All last night I was worrying about it.

But once I got on the roads this morning, it was kind of fun. I had to be more focused and engaged than I usually am. It’s a challenge and without challenges, life can be pretty boring.

Some of you might feel the same dread when you have a math test coming up. But think of it as a challenge. Think of it as a chance to get lost in the “flow” of an engaging task.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck

Dear Peacemakers,

Peace isn’t just keeping your hands to yourself. Peace isn’t just saying nothing at all. Peace is not something you don’t do. Peace is an act.

Peace is looking for people who are lonely and making friends with them. Peace is making sure everyone is included and feels loved. Peace is making yourself feel a little bit uncomfortable so other people feel valued.

It’s a lot easier to stay with your own crowd and mind your own business. But that’s not what people who are interested in peace do.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck