“I do not want to do anything. I hate this class with a passion. I’m so ready to graduate. This is the worst class I’ve ever taken.”
This hurt to read… it hurt deeply.
I wrote a response and I would like to pour out some of my thoughts and feelings here.
My dear young man,
Do you hate this class because it’s hard? Do you hate it because I have high expectations? Do you hate it because you cannot do whatever you want? Do you hate it because I want more for your life than cell phones, disinterest, and ignorance? Is it simply because you don’t like English as a subject? Give me a real reason before you write something like this.
Your life, young man, is PRECIOUS to me. You have the ability to use that life to lift people up and make them believe they can do the impossible. Your life, and more specifically your words, has the ability to destroy this assurance just as easily.
Before you move on from this class I need to you to know some things. I want you to be challenged. I want you to find things that are hard and at times frustrating. Why? Because I also want to see you grow. I want to see you realize that you were born with brains in your head, not rocks. With challenges and growth, I want to see you learn. I want you to discover things you never knew and questions you never even thought to ask. This is my daily wish for you.
Yet, every moment – whether you hate it or not – I want you to recognize that YOU choose the good and the bad. I know that you will never love English. More than that though, I know that what I have endeavored to give you is about so much more than just English. Stories, compassion, hope, dreams, confidence, success, failure and determination… I have striven with all my heart to give you A FUTURE.
I pray someday you will see that.