AFFECTIVE LIVING

What Students Really Need to Hear

It’s 4 a.m.  I’ve struggled for the last hour to go to sleep.  But, I can’t.  Yet again, I am tossing and turning, unable to shut down my brain.  Why?  Because I am stressed about my students.  Really stressed.  I’m so stressed that I can only think to write down what I really want to say — the real truth I’ve been needing to say — and vow to myself that I will let my students hear what I really think tomorrow.

This is what students really need to hear:

First, you need to know right now that I care about you. In fact, I care about you more than you may care about yourself.  And I care not just about your grades or your test scores, but about you as a person. And, because I care, I need to be honest with you. Do I have permission to be honest with you — both in what I say and how I say it?

Here’s the thing: I lose sleep because of you.  Every week.

Before I tell you why, you should understand the truth about school. You see, the main event of school is not academic learning. It never has been. It never will be. And, if you find someone who is passionate in claiming that it is about academics, that person is lying to himself or herself and may genuinely believe that lie. Yes, algebra, essay writing, Spanish, the judicial process —  all are important and worth knowing. But they are not the MAIN event.

The main event is learning how to deal with the harshness of life when it gets difficult — how to overcome problems as simple as a forgotten locker combination, to obnoxious peers, to gossip, to people doubting you, to asking for help in the face of self-doubt, to pushing yourself to concentrate when a million other thoughts and temptations are fingertips away.

It is your resilience in conquering the main event — adversity — that truly prepares you for life after school. Because, mark my words, school is not the most challenging time you will have in life. You will face far greater challenges than these. Sure, you will have times more amazing than you can imagine, but you will also confront incomparable tragedy, frustration, and fear in the years to come.

But, you shouldn’t be worried about the fact that you will face great adversities. You should be worried because you’re setting yourself up to fail at overcoming them. Here’s the real reason I lose hours of sleep worrying about you: You are failing the main event of school. You are quitting.  You may not think you are quitting, but you are because quitting wears many masks.

For some, you quit by throwing the day away and not even trying to write a sentence or a fraction because you think it doesn’t matter or you can’t or there’s no point. But it does. What you write is not the main event. The fact that you do take charge of your own fear and doubt in order to write when you are challenged — THAT is the main event.

Some of you quit by skipping class on your free education. Being punctual to fit the mold of the classroom is not the main event of showing up. The main event is delaying your temptation and investing in your own intelligence — understanding that sometimes short-term pain creates long-term gain and that great people make sacrifices for a greater good.

For others, you quit by being rude and disrespectful to adults in the hallway who ask you to come to class. Bowing to authority is not the main event. The main event is learning how to problem solve maturely, not letting your judgement be tainted by the stains of emotion.

I see some of you quit by choosing not to take opportunities to work harder and pass a class, no matter how far down you are. The main event is not getting a number to tell you you are worthy. The main event is pulling your crap together and making hard choices and sacrifices when things seem impossible.  It is finding hope in the hopeless, courage in the chasm, guts in the grave.

What you need to see is that every time you take the easy way out, you are building a habit of quitting. And it will destroy your future and it will annihilate your happiness if you let it.   Our society cares nothing for quitters.  Life will let you die alone, depressed, and poor if you can’t man or woman up enough to deal with hardship.  You are either the muscle or the dirt.  You either take resistance and grow stronger or blow in the wind and erode.

As long as you are in my life, I am not going to let quitting be easy for you.  I am going to challenge you, confront you, push you, and coach you.  You can whine.  You can throw a tantrum.  You can shout and swear and stomp and cry.  And the next day, guess what?  I will be here waiting — smiling and patient — to give you a fresh start.  Because you are worth it.

So, do yourself a favor: Step up.  No more excuses.  No more justifications.  No blaming.  No quitting.  Just pick your head up.  Rip the cords out of your ears.  Grab the frickin’ pencil and let’s do this.

— C. Mielke

➡️ Invite Chase to Speak at Your School or Event.

 

Chase Mielke
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1,806 responses to “What Students Really Need to Hear”

  1. Grace Lilianne {Graciebear} Avatar
    Grace Lilianne {Graciebear}

    Reblogged this on Gracie.bear and commented:
    Absolutely beautiful letter from a teacher to his students.

    Reply
  2. hollie7 Avatar
    hollie7

    This is going to be tomorrow’s lesson — and I teach (of all things) FRENCH! My students have whined and quit and begged me for a better grade even though they have whined and quit more than a few times. I’ve been teaching for a long time, I’ve said these exact words but in smaller increments. I’m going to have my students read this tomorrow.

    Reply
  3. Charles Avatar
    Charles

    I understand the sentiment of this essay but I think we need to help kids see that there are more choices than 1) fit in or 2) quit. The education system we have is no longer good enough. We need to challenge the system and take ownership of our learning rather than jump through the hoops laid out in front of us. Sometimes, we do need to “walk out” of systems that fail us and then “walk on” to better pathways. That would be the lesson I would impart.

    If you don’t believe in the learning environment you’re in, challenge it, propose alternatives, push for change and if all that fails, then find a better learning environment. But don’t jump through hoops just because they’re there.

    Reply
    1. chasemielke Avatar
      chasemielke

      Great thoughts, Charles! I especially think there is relevance in your statement about walking out of failing systems to walk on to better pasts. The challenge may be that, for some students, they don’t know the better paths, so they take the tempting paths. No doubt, our system does not work as well as it could. So, how do we educate students to seek the BEST paths for their future and find the maps they need to get there, no matter what the path? Your comment is making me think and I LIKE it!

      Reply
      1. stan stein Avatar
        stan stein

        Hi…..well, even if only going by the obvious…we know less about humanity than we do about most other thngs. That’s why we still have racism, war, religious fundamentalism, and the unfortunate laundry list of a species entering a stage of devolution. Today, the young adults have been virtually left to find character, a sense of spirituality, and all the other componemts of a well rounded individual….something we used to regard as a social ideal. Guitar hero replaced piano lessons, high frustose corn syrup replaced the 50% 50% balance nature intended between fructose and glucose, not 55% 45% that we’re not capable of using. We are stunting our children’s development with GMO foods, over feeding them wheat and giving many of the more sensitive ones, celiac disease.making them drink flouride, which has no use at all thru internal consumption and is helping create autism..well, as I said….devolution…the latter examples being of a post Keynesian era that has the tail wagging the dog.
        We need to have an anthropology focused federal administration….we’re people. We need classes for our youngest students to set guidelines for how to gracefully and workably interface with others to make up for the 0 or near 0 parenting they’re getting at home, and/or from parents who haven’t a complete set of skills themselves to instill in them.
        In short, we have begun a period of social and physical devolution….we have become numb to the precursers of crisis, so there are so many of them we can’t keep up. We are losing our will to thrive as a species.

      2. Hilary Klopper Avatar
        Hilary Klopper

        Or sometimes you have to realise that what you have is a gift and not a right. I am South African and my 2 preschoolers go to a private school because there are no decent public schools near us. My children do charity work, they donate their things and take them face to face to those less fortunate but mostly they understand that when they are my age there will be more than 10 billion people on the planet and they need to know things. Not only do they need exceptional grades to be able to attend our few universities but that in 20 years time food will be very expensive and they will need to grow a good portion of their own to avoid being poisoned slowly. As a parent I take responsibility for showing my children what the world is about and how it will change as they grow older not only environmentally but geographically, I show them maps from the days of the Soviet Union and explain what is happening in the Ukraine and how the world is in constant flux. Yes they are only 3 and 5, but they understand on their level and they understand that laziness and narcissism will get them nowhere. Anyhow, Chase, thank you for worrying about our kids and thank you for being a teacher a truly noble profession.

      3. okaikor Avatar
        okaikor

        Hi Chase,

        I read this yesterday after a friend posted it on my FB page. Would you be willing to engage with my students on Twitter about this very piece (that is, of course if they agree to it)? I think it would be interesting to have the dialogue with the students because we have been discussing this very topic in class. I am going to refrain from expressing my opinion right now, because I want my students to make their own meaning of this without my influence.

        Okaikor

      4. chasemielke Avatar
        chasemielke

        Oooohh! I love the idea of a dialogue! I’ve never done one via Twitter before, but I would love to give it a go. Feel free to email me at cmielke@plainwellschools.org if you want to talk more details 🙂 Great idea!

      5. Charles Avatar
        Charles

        My professional work revolves around helping people (young people especially) become changemakers. Creating change requires the mindset to question the status quo, to think of new possibilities, to test different ideas and to bring about the change we want. There’s an art to this but there’s a lot of science too. We know a lot about what changemaking entails. The world we live in now involves a lot of change – adapting to it, creating it. Students need to be prepared for it rather than for a defined career path or future. I believe the only way to prepare people to be changemakers is repeated practice. Once they get a taste of some success, it will forever change their outlook on life. When they come across situations they don’t like, they won’t just give up.

        Look at what students at one public high school in Massachusetts did:

    2. Purplejojo13 Avatar
      Purplejojo13

      Charles, you hit the nail on the head!! Last year in kindergarten my son had horrible teachers. And the principal’s response: It was because of the students! She said she needed to protect the teachers from a parent vendetta (there were several of us complaining about the terrible treatment of the students). How about protecting 5 year olds from teachers who shake them out of a chair for touching a computer?
      Chase, please consider that in most cases these kids have been experiencing negative school environments for 9 years prior to arriving at high school, so they have been sucking it up for a long time.

      Last year I was privileged to hear the top expert on Resilience in this country speak, and she reassured us that by the time these kids get to thirty they will have bounced back from all of the negative experiences of their childhood, so hopefully now you can get some sleep! Again, Charles is point is that instead of telling kids to accept the system we should change the system so that kids don’t have to survive it.

      Reply
      1. natspaintings.wordpress.com Avatar
        natspaintings.wordpress.com

        with all due respect purplejojo13, i think your view is naive. You think it is easy to change an entire education system? its not. thats what chase is referring to. the fact that the system is in no near future, scheduled to change. it is what it is and any change that may come will have to endure lots of red tape, lots of rebuttal. everyone on the planet has their own view of how education should be and its rarely the same.

        As a victim of parent harassment (i am also a teacher) I can honestly say parents criticize far too much, judge far too much and support teachers far too less. i am sick of parents making excuses for their kids not to do their work and whining to the principal because the teacher may have given a dose of reality to a student. Reality like: not doing work earns a failing grade, throwing a fit in class is consequenced, and teachers feel too and deserve consideration. I dare any parent to get themselves into a grade 7/8 French class and teach it. Better yet, in a school in a rough part of the city with an administration that is not supportive enough. Further still, make the lesson interesting and not get upset when the students act out and are disrespectful AND keep smiling all while continuing to plow through the lesson.

        I love teaching but I dislike the wishy washy parents who think their child is not deserving of a reprimand. When my kids came home and told me the teacher told them to ‘shut-up’, rather than freak out and call the school and rip at the teacher in question, my response to my boys was “what were you doing to make the teacher say that?” If more parents asked that question, students would be more respectful, more responsible and far less brazen to tell a teacher to “f— off.” Thats not to say teachers are not accountable, because they are, but societal parenting has gotten lazy and expects teachers to pick up the slack with absolutely no support.

        And Charles, I think your comment is also naive. It sounds ethereal to say just to walk out of one system and find a better one. Good concept, not practical. I doubt there are many teachers who are not trying to make the classroom better, more interesting and change it from within their own grasp. Its not easy but something I strive to do as well. But, none of us can just walk out and walk on to something better. Nor can students. They are where they are and cant change it. So, as Chase has pointed out, the lesson here is to make the best of where you are and realize that life sometimes gives us lemons. So, making lemonade right where we are is our only option. And that lemonade is pick up a pencil, do some work and learn that quitting and laziness are not helping anyone. Society will not tolerate quitters, those kids will end up on welfare of in a coffee shop somewhere til they retire. That is how i interpreted Chase’s post. That is the reality students need to hear. The reality that the world will not pander to them the way the education system does. The world is not afraid to say “you have failed, you are fired, i dont like you…” these statements that we are not allowed to say for politically correct reasons are the exact statements quitters and whiners will hear once they graduate grade school.

        Chase, good post.

    3. Lauren Avatar
      Lauren

      I feel the argument that the system has failed our students argument is growing tiresome. I think there is a challenge here for every type of learner, be it tackling the math one is terrified to try, or to control one’s behaviour in the face of confrontation. Education isn’t always going to be Dead Poet’s Society.

      Reply
    4. PenniCash Avatar
      PenniCash

      Charles, I think Chase says it in the post, though: learn how to problem solve, handle things that hurt emotionally, make things better. If everyone is accusing and abusing (like so many are), then nothing is fixed. I teach HS freshmen, and they themselves claim they are babied and unprepared for the rigors of high school and don’t understand why. We offer many types of alternative programming, but they’re too wrapped up in their headphone cords to listen to the options like free/reduced early college credit and certification programs via our local community college vocational program which we bus them to for free (like Chase states below: they don’t know the ‘better paths’).

      Our educational system is a flawed system, but everyone needs to work together to fix it. You hit it when you say take ownership. Parents, students, teachers…all of us…it’s such a huge problem we are all afraid to a certain degree to take ownership and fix the foundation upon which we build all of our futures.

      Reply
      1. Charles Avatar
        Charles

        Just because a program is “alternative” doesn’t mean it’s good. The students’ apathy may be a sign these are not better paths. We need to keep trying. Adults (non-teachers) need to ask themselves when they were most engaged in learning and why and then try to replicate those conditions for kids.

      2. PenniCash Avatar
        PenniCash

        Just because it is “alternative” does not mean it is bad. Alternative meaning auto body, nursing, graphic design, hvac, firefighter training, culinary arts, robotics, carpentry, and other certification programs, not hook them up to computers to get them to pass standardized tests. Training programs that *gasp* don’t promote going to a four year university and therefore aren’t promoted by administration or guidance. Just because something is part of the old system doesn’t mean is should automatically go out with the bad (and there is plenty of bad; I’m not blind). I’m a teacher that doesn’t believe everyone needs to go to a four year college. I’m not brainwashed and I don’t buy in to a lot of what is traditional education in this country. It is also why I fear for my job because I hold these ideals; they challenge nearly everything American education currently stands for. I think I am replying because I feel like you think every teacher is part of the problem. A lot of us grumble and try to promote real wisdom and knowledge and we get overshadowed by those that don’t want change or just go with it. Work together, not against.

      3. Charles Avatar
        Charles

        I don’t think every teacher is bad. I think there are many great teachers and I can name a few who were transformative in my life. But teachers do operate in very stuck systems. They have to give grades and even grade students on a curve. They have to deliver a fairly prescribed curriculum. Many of these conditions handicap teachers and prevent students from becoming truly engaged, no matter how hard the teachers try. Often schools might offer “alternative” programs but they still carry the same baggage – a pre-defined curriculum, grades, large classes, etc. We need alternatives to this model and I hope teachers, students, parents will unite to demand better models rather than just make do with what exists.

  4. disillusioned revolution Avatar
    disillusioned revolution

    “Our society cares nothing for quitters.” C have you watched a little television lately or surfed the net? Losers,Quitters, Rehabbed Drug Addicts, Porn Stars,Octamom, Locked up in Prison, Auto Tune,Teen Moms, George Zimmerman, Trayvon Martin, School shooter uppers, and Trust fund kids seem to be about the only ones getting rich these days! Why try when we should be entitled to be famous! lol Actually these are more along the lines why I don’t sleep!!!

    Reply
    1. SaraS Avatar
      SaraS

      Just because they are given a little fame does not mean society cares about them or that they are free of their problems.

      Reply
  5. Bells Avatar
    Bells

    Beautiful article. I am an elementary teacher and believe it is my job to prepare students to be career, collage and community ready. They need to know this will not be the hardest day they endure. I constantly praise them for over coming difficult days because they need to get stronger each day to prepare for what is ahead. Babying them is not doing them any favors. I work in a high poverty school many of the students don’t know where their next meal is coming but I hold them to the same standard as every other student because that is what they need, Someone to work through the struggle and prepare them for the day the have to face it alone. Don’t worry about your spelling error some people just look for the bad in others and get pleasure out of others mistakes. Sad.

    Reply
  6. madisonpward1 Avatar
    madisonpward1

    Reblogged this on Making Maddi and commented:
    This is good to read!

    Reply
  7. felicia Avatar
    felicia

    Thank you!! Very inspiring- and as a school counselor i empathize! Well put:-) i will share.

    Reply
  8. Feel and then Laugh | mosesjoshua Avatar
    Feel and then Laugh | mosesjoshua

    […] https://affectiveliving.wordpress.com/2014/03/08/what-students-really-need-to-hear/ […]

    Reply
  9. anonymous Avatar
    anonymous

    This was a wonderful thing for me to see tonight. I teach in a high poverty urban high school, and I just came home from a viewing for a former student. She worked her tail off to succeed and go to college, but was struck and killed by a drunk driver just shy of her one year graduation. Her parents and other former students were surprised to see me. But I can tell you that my heart broke when I read the news, and I will always care so much for these kids. And you are so right that it’s not just the academics, as a teacher I try so hard to care and show my students how to succeed. I think I may show this to a few select students tomorrow. Thank you for these words.

    Reply
  10. Karen Avatar
    Karen

    Reblogged this on The Weekend Country Girl.

    Reply
  11. Callie Avatar
    Callie

    Well said and very, very accurate. As a teacher, I have students in my class everyday that I lose sleep over. You’re right; students need to hear this, and to those of you who are not teachers and are commenting on this post as though you know better, please go teach for a week before you go on about how wrong some of these points are. You have no idea what an average classroom is like in this day and age.

    Reply
  12. Lauren Avatar
    Lauren

    Wow. Perfectly stated. I will be sharing with my middle schoolers.

    Reply
  13. jeezusgut Avatar
    jeezusgut

    I see this everyday in my students and I wish I could just grab them and shake them into caring about themselves and their futures. Thank you for posting this. Really needed to read it today.

    Reply
  14. Teacher Avatar
    Teacher

    Thank you for putting into words all of the thoughts and feelings I’ve had for and about my students.

    Reply
  15. Sara Avatar
    Sara

    You put into words what I have been feeling for many years. It seems that not all teachers see it this way, and many students do not understand. Thank you for inspiring me to persist and start fresh every day!

    Reply
  16. Melanie (mom of 4 girls) Avatar
    Melanie (mom of 4 girls)

    LOVE!!!!

    Reply
  17. Erin Avatar
    Erin

    This speaks to me after a day like today! Thank you, I think I will share this with my 6th-8th graders tomorrow.

    Reply
  18. Mary Avatar
    Mary

    this, is, just fantastic! “quitting wears many masks…” learning to play school is just as important as passing school. thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  19. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    Thank you so much for putting so eloquently what I try to explain to or show my students everyday. These words will help me make a difference.

    Reply
  20. Lori Avatar
    Lori

    I totally read this to my high school students and at first they thought is was written in my words….so I guess we, who care about our students, have heard the message….kudos to you and thank you so much for allowing me to share your word and give credit to the author!!!

    Reply
    1. Kristen Avatar
      Kristen

      I teach middle school. Math special Ed. It’s everyone’s favorite subject 👍thinking of doing the same this week.

      Reply
  21. Jose Armenta Avatar
    Jose Armenta

    That’s was awesome

    Reply
  22. walrissa Avatar
    walrissa

    Reblogged this on English Techie and commented:
    This is a great reflection on a problem that never seems to go away.

    Reply
  23. texasaggiemom Avatar
    texasaggiemom

    I work with university students, some of whom will benefit from this message as much as your high schoolers! I look forward to finding a way to incorporate this thoughtful piece into my freshman mentoring groups. Thanks for so clearly articulating something many of us feel for our students!

    Reply
  24. livelifelighter Avatar
    livelifelighter

    This is the most beautiful blog post I have EVER read. Bravo!

    Reply
  25. spanishplans Avatar
    spanishplans

    Well said!

    Reply
  26. g2-20f583b9cf597d4486de4fe026ec1f01 Avatar
    g2-20f583b9cf597d4486de4fe026ec1f01

    Well said! Sharing in class tomorrow!

    Reply
  27. lucy Avatar
    lucy

    Needed to hear this in a time where I was about to drop out of a prestigious college. Only thing different, I’m paying money for the pain.

    Reply
  28. heather Avatar
    heather

    Yes!! This is it exactly. I say something very similar to my high school students.

    Reply
  29. staceyaltamirano Avatar
    staceyaltamirano

    Reblogged this on staceyaltamirano and commented:
    These are the same thoughts that race through my mind every day I see my my students hijacking their own learning. These are things I’ve always wanted to say, but have never known how to…so instead of saying it all over again, I’ll just re blog this well said post.

    Reply
  30. ParentMSD Avatar
    ParentMSD

    Excellent. Well stated. My daughter is having to figure this out coming from a sheltered private school to public…wow. You are so on point. Coping skills, EQ, strategy, learning about yourself while maneuvering through the jungle; the lie. My mother just retired from Alief ISD and she would always say no one cares about the students. She thought school was about preparing students for life from an educational perspective. I love your point of view on education. Share worthy.

    Reply
  31. Bill Campbell Avatar
    Bill Campbell

    Started off teaching in the late 1960s.Then worked for provincial government. When I retired I signed up as a substitute teacher. Many times I delivered your message, but never quite got it to your level of eloquence. Well Done!

    Reply
  32. Rickie Avatar
    Rickie

    This is fantastic. Thank you for posting. I could not agree more and I’m going to share it with my kids tomorrow. I say this sentiment in various ways thoughout the year, but I think you put it even better and they do need to hear this.

    Reply
  33. sylvanlange Avatar
    sylvanlange

    Reblogged this on Sylvan R. Lange.

    Reply
  34. What Students Really Need to Hear | withlovenotonlyme

    […] What Students Really Need to Hear. […]

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  35. Kia Avatar
    Kia

    I have to say that although I agree with the jist of this, as a college student i would like to point out my side of the story. I was born and raised Amish. I received an absolutely awful homeschooling that only parts of reached 8th grade. I chose to leave that life at age 18. Because of that my family has rejected me. I am completely on my own, financially, emotionally etc. Being on my own has made me stronger. I am putting myself through college but it is HARD. I have no educational background to fall on. I have to work to support myself, I can’t depend on others to support me. This is why I do my damned best, but that isn’t always good enough. Most of the time it isn’t good enough and I get very discouraged. I have missed assignments, failed tests, and been late to class, not because I don’t want to be there, but because I’m human and I just can’t do everything. I don’t have time to do all the reading we are supposed to do. And it hurts when others and professors tell me to just try harder. I do try. Please don’t lump me in with others who don’t know what it is like to live my life…. A life of being rejected, never being good enough, having to fight for every inch I gain, having an eating disorder, PTSD, and anxiety from the trauma that was my life until 18, being a socially awkward person because the ability to learn that skill was denied me, health issues that sometimes keep me from attending class even though I desire it, and dealing with the pain and emotions of my upbringing every day. I”m doing my best with the cards I was dealt and it is not easy. Please don’t judge me.

    Reply
    1. alliedab Avatar
      alliedab

      How brave of you to share your feelings. If you read this article it is clear that you are searching for ways to motivate yourself to keep up the work. Don’t stop trying. I hope that you find peace from your past, I can tell you that is does get easier over time to get over a difficult childhood. Continue to invest in yourself, try not to be too hard on yourself, and try to focus on the life you want for yourself after academia. Good luck to you, sweetheart.

      Reply
  36. Natalie Avatar
    Natalie

    Can I just say thank you for this… It’s 1:15am and I’m taking a much needed study break because I have an English Lit final that I really need to do well on, and I feel nowhere near prepared for. I’ve done everything I was supposed to do, it just seems overwhelming with it all. I’ve had a few teachers in life that seemed like they really cared, and I can’t thank them enough. They’ve made a HUGE impact in my life. They’ve boosted my confidence and driven me to do things I didn’t know I was capable of, whether they knew they were driving me or not. Thank you so much. It’s because of teachers like you that I know I will get my doctorate in due time, and that it will be 100% worth it.

    Reply
  37. Madeleine Avatar
    Madeleine

    You are correct. Students are quitting in their school work, constantly. However, you state that the main event of school is learning to deal with hardship and push through adversities and that students aren’t doing this because they’re quitting with schoolwork. Consider this: students are still getting the “main event” of school… but not necessarily in school. Text. Social media. These things have completely changed the way adolescents are communicating and this leads to gossip and rumors and cyberbullying and creating, essentially, an internet personality. Students are so preoccupied caring about what other students think, not only in person, but now over the internet. They want to be perceived as hipster or privileged or athletic or whatever. This is a whole different type of adversity that is distracting from school work. Yes, they’re quitting in trying to get a decent grade in math class, probably with the excuse that “I will literally never use this in life”. Most students, though, are still facing adversity elsewhere. This is not the biggest problem. We shouldn’t have to push students to get through school and to try hard… We need to make students want to learn. We need to make them enthusiastic about learning in their core classes and we need to make them want to try to do well. It’s our job to stop telling them that being educated is a good thing, that they’re lucky to have an education… They’re young. They’ll figure those things out someday. It’s time to stop preaching. It’s time to change our lesson plans, get students interested, and make learning FUN.

    Reply
  38. Dey McDonald Avatar
    Dey McDonald

    Also, this guy is A.T.T.R.A.C.T.I.V.E

    Reply
  39. L. Keegan Avatar
    L. Keegan

    Wish I had had a teacher like this. I might have tried harder. But I did not enjoy school I was bullied on the bus daily. I had some good teachers but I was 1 student out of 35 or so in a class and there was 8 classes a day. So they really didn’t have time for one student when there was so many that had problems. But if just one had said something like this. I might have enjoyed the time in school.

    Reply
  40. Sroulo@yahoo.com Avatar
    Sroulo@yahoo.com

    Charles, if you are from Lincoln Park , Michigan PLEASE email me. Sroulo@ yahoo.com orIM me on FB Sherry Tanguay Roulo

    Reply
  41. Nick Avatar
    Nick

    Nice heart-felt letter and certainly something that relates well to todays youth, especially those giving an ‘on the fence’ type of effort, but your letter still avoids any kind of inspiration and lacks the long-term goals that should be a part of the ‘free’ education system today. It’s also EXTREMELY short-sighted and one-sided, I’d probably get this letter from a grade nine highschooler perspective-wise.

    Reply
  42. Mike Avatar
    Mike

    Is it possible that the real purpose of school is academic.
    You see the students are the customers. It is for them to decide what it is they are buying. It seems all very lofty to assign the ‘real’ purpose of the product to something more grand, but is it realistic?
    If I were to pay to ride a roller-coaster, for the thrill of it, and instead I was told, after taking my seat and handing over my money that the ‘real’, more ‘inspired’ purpose of the ride was not to provide me with a thrill at all, but instead to satisfy the ego of the architect whose true intentions are to defy the laws of gravity.
    Maybe the purpose of the teacher and the student do not line up here.
    Maybe the teacher needs to understand the task set before him or her, and while making the experience as fulfilling, enjoyable and complete as possible, still deliver what was paid for.
    And maybe, just maybe when someone decides to proclaim the ‘true’ purpose of something, they can assume that the purpose that they wish so passionately to share, may not be the same for everyone.

    Reply
  43. brinaaucoin Avatar
    brinaaucoin

    Reblogged this on Brina's Bread & Butter and commented:
    Love this!

    Reply
  44. camilleanalise Avatar
    camilleanalise

    This is amazing. This is one of the reasons that I want to become a teacher, thank you

    Reply
  45. Ramie Avatar
    Ramie

    Amazing! Thank you for being an awesome educator!

    Reply
  46. Lauren Wells Avatar
    Lauren Wells

    Dear Chase,

    I, like you, am a teacher and am always looking for things to share with my students (heck sharing this with teachers, friends and even family would be a good idea). With your permission, I would like to read this to my Grade 8 homeroom class (Sundays are FUN FACT days and well, this is a important FACT for them to know…not so sure about the fun part – hah!)

    The last few lines of almost brought me to tears (and it could be that I am just exhausted after the end of a long week) but I was choked in a wonderful way – thank you.
    You have a gift for writing and I enjoyed the style of your message – get straight to the point by being honest and direct – dynamite!

    Thank you for putting into words what I hope my students will remember when I read this to them and hope that more teachers alike (with your permission of course!) will share this piece with THEIR students, teachers, friends and family.

    Appreciate your words and will make sure to pay it forward.

    Ms.Wells

    Reply
    1. chasemielke Avatar
      chasemielke

      Ms. Wells, I appreciate your kind words and I appreciate you. Of course you may share it 🙂

      Reply
  47. Kristen Avatar
    Kristen

    Thoughtful letter. Too often our colleagues and supervisors get all wound up in the what or how we are teaching. It is a small part of teaching little human beings. I recently blogged a similar note to my students. Top 5 things my Students Probably Don’t Know at http://www.makingeducation.com/uncategorized/top-5-things-my-students-probably-dont-know/

    Reply
  48. Randine Avatar
    Randine

    Wow. Very motivating while I am struggling to find the will power to keep studying hard for finals. Thank you! Let’s frickin’ do this 🙂

    Reply
  49. Meg Avatar
    Meg

    I loved this piece. I’m a principal of an urban public middle school and have been an educator for 12 years. I am also a mom. This is what keeps me up at night too.
    I also found myself very discouraged by the negative comments – this was a heartfelt cry to this generation of children. Why must the blame always turn back to teachers and schools. Where is the value of personal responsibility that we must instill in our children.

    Reply
    1. kelway74 Avatar
      kelway74

      It’s no surprise that the blob doesn’t blame the blob. I found the “negative” comments the most truthful. I’m disgusted by the system so many of you are a part of.

      Reply
  50. lp Avatar
    lp

    Nicely written and spot on. And for those who are grand-standing the author on a soapbox about how teachers are responsible for creating a better learning environment, perhaps you should read more of the author’s blog. Here’s one such example: https://affectiveliving.wordpress.com/2014/03/11/the-l-word-educations-greatest-disease-and-no-its-not-lupis/

    Reply

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