Teach the Way You Wanted to Be Taught
Lessons learned from the worst teachers I had in school.
“I know that everyone here would like to be rich and famous, but the truth is most of you are going to end up working for Cox Cable’s customer service.”
I was sitting at my desk, and my jaw dropped. My U.S. history teacher smirked and laughed as if his words were mere feathers. Casually, he moved on while some of us shared glances of shock.
I don’t remember why he said it — only that it has stuck with me until now. 11 years later. While it wasn’t a comment that I took to heart, I never forgot it. It didn’t serve as “motivation” either, as some people might assume. It merely stuck with me as cruel. How could someone in his position dare to throw a rock at a teenager’s dream and try to shatter it?
Whether or not he’s correct that most of the kids in that classroom, if not all, will not become rich and famous isn’t the point. A good leader should never tell someone that they can’t do something.
I wish I could say he was the only one who did so.
Our English assignment was clear.
Our 16-year-old selves were to write a 1,000-word essay about which college we wanted to attend and what job we wanted to work. Easy enough…
