letters to my class

Dear Attention-givers,

The world is such a big place. There is more than you can ever pay attention to–more books than you could ever read, more games than you could ever play, and more friends than you could ever meet. It all feels so overwhelming.

But where you put your attention is entirely up to. It’s almost like a superpower. Because there’s no way we can pay attention to everything, it’s important that we really think about where we put our attention. And when you give something your attention, give it all of your attention.

When you’re solving a math problem, focus on that and only that. When you’re reading a book, lose yourself in that book. When you’re unloading your dishwasher at home, pretend it’s the only thing that matters in the world. This simple fix won’t solve everything, but it will make life feel more manageable and meaningful.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck

Dear Learners,

I read a lot of social science and pop psychology books, and all of these books say the same thing: talent does not matter as much as effort and ability does not matter as much as practice.

You are all good enough, smart enough, and capable enough. What separates highly successful people is the effort and focus they bring. If you come to school everyday focused on learning all that you can learn, you will. If you focus on improving and being the best you can be, you will be better than you ever thought possible.

You can’t control where you were born, who you were born to, or how you were born, but you can control the stuff that really matters.

Sincerely, 

Mr. Heimbuck

Dear Historians,

I had a great trip to Santa Fe over Spring Break. While driving there, I had my wife read me the Wikipedia page of every little town and landmark we drove past–volcanic plugs, wagon mounds, and a really weird looking gym in Trinidad. There is so much to learn all around us. Everything has a history if we take the time to learn it.

The route to Santa Fe still follows the old Santa Fe trail route that has been used for hundreds of years. I felt like an oxen-pulled pioneer, a cattle-driving cowboy, or a howitzer-dragging soldier. And even though I was only a minivan driving dad, I felt like I was part of history. 

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck

Dear Fans,

Yesterday was opening day in baseball. It’s my favorite day, and it’s my favorite time of year. Arms are fresh, uniforms are crisp, and every team has the hope that can only exist in April.

Being a fan is serious business. It’s not just about rooting for a team and it’s not just about wearing a jersey. Being a fan is about learning to speak the language of the sport. 

And it takes a lot of time and effort to become fluent in the language of something. You have to read about it, talk to others about it, follow it. You have to pour over the box scores every morning and know exactly who is just barely on the roster and who is about to be. You have to dedicate a big part of your life to thinking about the game.

Whatever your obsession is, I hope you have the tools and work ethic to become fluent in the language of the thing.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck

Dear Coloradoans,

Welcome to spring in Colorado.

Our word of the day yesterday was dynamics. When we write, sing, or perform we speed up and slow down, get louder and get softer, keep our audience awake and engaged, and, in general, get our point across with our own unique sense of style and grace.

Colorado definitely has its own sense of style.

It will warm up this weekend and you should have a nice and balmy spring break, but my hope for you is that you use the gift of time to do something that’s really important to you: play games with your family, play outside with your friends, voraciously read books, and write about something that’s really important to you.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck

Dear Number Mavens,

This year we’ve learned lots of ways to multiply whole numbers–partial-products, double and halve, over and under, lattice, or ratio tables. And there are many other methods that we haven’t talked about–Egyptian, Russian Peasant, Japanese. There’s really only one way to multiply, but these methods show us different ways to count up the pieces.

While I really want you to quickly and accurately find the correct answer, life (and math) is about more than right answers. It’s about understanding. We learn a variety of ways to multiply because we’re learning how multiplication (and numbers themselves) work. 

Memorizing a process for multiplication won’t help you understand higher math or how to apply math to the real world. Knowing how multiplication works will.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck

Dear Workers,

You’ve probably heard your parents or teachers say, “School is your job.” And it’s true. You are responsible for putting in the effort for getting the results. You are responsible for showing up, prepared, everyday.

But school is also a lot more than just a job. At school you build a foundation for the rest of your life. At school you learn how to multiply and about important events in Colorado history, but you also learn how to learn. And that’s something you’ll take with you to every job you ever have.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck

Dear Mimicers,

You know someone’s a real artist when you can immediately recognize their style in whatever they create. There’s just something about the songs they write, sentences they compose, or art they create that reflects their own personal style.

And funny enough, they developed that personal style by studying and emulating many artists who came before them.

Today we will continue to study Chris Van Allsburg’s craft. What patterns do we see across many or most of his books? What themes, character types, and settings keep popping up in his books? And how can our own study of his style influence our own unique styles as writers and creators?

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck

Dear Watchers,

Every morning I wake up and look at my iPad screen. And every morning it’s exactly the same. If I were to take few steps over to my window and look out at the early morning sky, I’d be amazed by the little changes it makes each day, and the patterns that show up over time. I’m trying to make myself do that more often.

I want you to be the kind of people who know when and where the sun rises and sets, what phase the moon is in, what birds and weeds tell you about the seasons, where your water comes from, and where your trash ends up. You do that by being outside. And, most importantly, by paying attention.

I want you to know these things so you can make wise decisions about them. These are the important things in life.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck

Dear Carriers of Culture,

My hope for you is that at some point in your life you find the perfect opportunity to recite a few lines of Frost or Yeats or Dickinson to and amaze people with your insight.

Or that a story you read in fourth grade helps you make sense of a problem you face in your adult life. Or that a painting you saw in school keeps you up at night thinking about the differences between art and nature.

These things–poems, songs, stories, artworks–are things worth knowing. When you experience them, you put a copy inside yourself and carry it around for the rest of your life. And it makes your life better and your better life makes the world better.

So find a place to keep the art that we experience in class. The future wellbeing of humanity depends on it.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck