Speaker 1: Welcome to into the night. I'm Narri your guide on
today's excursion down a twisted path. Be careful not to
get lost. Be it dark or light, It's easy to
lose your way. Are you ready, then let's begin life lessons.
Kendall Lewis stepped into his classroom at the Montgomery Academy
for the first time on a sweltering July day at
ten o'clock in the morning. The combination of heat and
humidity already proved stifling. Located on the third floor of
the old brick building, he could almost smell the history
in the place. Dust particles illuminated in the shafts of
light streaming through the windows, and the room carried the
weight of years. How many students and teachers have been
this room and what books were discussed. Kendall thought back
to his own high school days and the excitement he
felt delving into the classics under the tutelage of instructors
he at the time thought ancient. He chuckled, hy but
some of them were younger than I am. Now. Oh,
how perspective is everything? I like that. He went to
his board and wrote those words in flowing cursive perspective
is Everything would be the theme for his year as
he guided students through the works of literary greats. For
a time, he wondered if he should leave education. Society
seemed to have turned against teachers and education in general.
We've become the enemy in the minds of so many.
Even my own family has made ugly comments about public schools. Ironically,
he was convinced to remain in teaching because of this
opportunity arising at a private high school. Maybe, just maybe
the parents will support learning. Kendall felt optimistic during his
interview had Master Fitzimmons assured him. We take pride in
the support we receive from our parents. We demand high
performance from our students. There is no room for failure
in our school, but the rewards for academic success are exceptional.
What happens to students who don't succeed? Fitzsimmons didn't hesitate
with his answer. Those who do not meet our standards
are removed and no longer attend our school. The parents
accept the terms of our standards. I assume if they
pay their tuition, they expect their children to make the
most of their educations. Precisely, the benefits of graduating from
Montgomery are life long. Our students are alumni of Yale,
Harvard and all of the Ivy League schools. Our graduates
make up the bulk of the Fortune five hundred leaders.
If parents want this sort of future for their son,
they will agree to our strict requirements. You said, sons,
Are there any girls who attend Montgomery? Fitzsimmons wrapped his
pen on his desk. We have a long history of
being a boy's only institution. Is this a problem for you,
mister Lewis, Absolutely not. I was simply curious. Very well,
I will take you on a short tour of our grounds.
We should make our hiring decision in the next week,
but I am impressed with the recommendations we received from
your references. Kendall wasn't confident that the job would be his,
but he knew he'd find the right school for him
if teaching remained in his future. Three days later, though,
head Master Fitzsimmons called him with a job offer. Kendall
packed his house, put most of his belongings in storage,
and hired a property management company to rent out his home.
Within two weeks, he drove a moving van to an
apartment he rented a few blocks from Montgomery. Now he
stood in his classroom, taking in the atmosphere of the space.
Attached to the room was a book room filled with
classroom sets of novels and literature books. Most were classics Hawthorne, Hemingway, Plato, Kafka,
and Dostoevsky, varied and rich in content. Kendall liked what
he had to work with. On the other side of
the room was his office. I haven't had an office before.
I love this leather chair and the feeling of professionalism
and stature that comes with an office. Maybe I should
have switched to private education long ago. The window to
his office overlooked the courtyard, and its location on the
third floor gave him a vantage point to view the
totality of the manicured campus. Sweat dripped down the back
of his shirt, and he hoped by the time the
school year began that the air conditioning would reach the
upper floor of the building. Kendall came to his classroom
several times in the next month. He wanted to make
it his room by feeling at home there before the
student started the school year. He'd made a habit of
doing that any time he'd switched jobs, or even simply
switched classrooms at the same job. If I'm going to
spend most of my waking hours here for the next year,
I want to feel comfortable in my surroundings. He created
his lessons, mapped out the sequence for teaching them, and
prepared his classroom in every way possible. An old hand
at teaching, he knew it required a lot of work
to make the school year appear easy for a teacher. Finally,
the first day of school arrived. He taught literature and
composition one and two, and he enjoyed the challenge of
teaching freshmen, especially a little nervous, but mainly excited, He
greeted his student each hour as they entered his room.
He made an effort to match each name and face,
and by the end of the second day he knew
each student by name on site. It's important that they
know I recognize them as individuals right away. The freshmen
were nervous, which he understood. They entered anew to them
high school with no knowledge of how their year would go.
Would they succeed in their classes, would they make friends?
Would they like their classes? These kids had the added
pressure of knowing their parents paid a lot of money
for them to be here, and the expectations placed on
them are high. Had Master Fitzsimmons reiterated the importance of
a rigorous curriculum pushed these young men to their limits.
Looking out at the faces of his students, Kendall saw
a high level of anxiety in most of them, which
surprised him. When I interviewed here, I assumed my students
would feel privileged and entitled. Few of these boys exude arrogance.
Why they seem more afraid than anything else. Their parents
must demand a lot from them. They are terrified to fail.
Proof of their fear and anxiety happened quickly on the
fourth day of school as they received the rough draft
copies of their essays back. Three boys asked to be
excused and quickly ran from the room, covering their mouths
with their hands. Was I detailed in my comments and edits? Yes,
But I've never seen a student become physically ill from
getting a paper back heavily marked. When the boys returned
to class, Kendall addressed their fears class, there is no
reason to be upset by the papers I hand it
back to you. I won't enter a grade for this
essay until you submit the final draft. A few boys
tried to hide the fact that they wiped tears from
their eyes. This is part of the learning process. It's
part of the process of becoming a better writer. I
don't expect you to be experts. This is your first
week of the school year. One boy in the back
of the room shook his head while Kendall spoke, Renner,
you don't look like you believe me. I assure you
these corrections are to help you learn, not to punish you.
The boy hesitated, then responded, Sir, you said you don't
expect us to be experts. But what but our parents
and head Master Fitzsimmons do expect that. Kendall looked around
the room. I know you fear failure, but in this room,
I want you to feel comfortable with seeing the areas
you need to grow in and then working to improve
with all due respects, Sir, that's not the way the
academy expects it to be. A tall, blonde boy in
the third row squirmed after speaking without being called upon. Jeremy,
I promise in this class you can focus on learning
and not on being perfect. We are all human and
the only way we grow is by facing our shortcomings.
The boys didn't look convinced, but no one else spoke.
Now that we have that clarified, I want you to
go through your papers and make the corrections. Pay attention
to my comments and see why I made the corrections
I did. If you're uncertain, ask Once you've made the corrections,
we will do a peer review session and you will
have the opportunity to create the final draft. After that,
the boys set immediately to work on their papers. These
poor kids are so afraid of failure. They can't be freethinkers,
they can't be creative. The first step I have to
take is to get them past their fear. From that
moment on, Kendall saw himself not only as their teacher,
but as their mentor, cheerleader, and safe space to express
their ideas, both on paper and in class. He took
each boy under his wing, and he helped them gain
confidence in their other classes as well. We all fail
at one time or another. The secret is to pick
ourselves up afterward and improve. At first, the students hesitated,
but as the classroom atmosphere developed into one of acceptance
and exploration of ideas, the students let down their guard.
Some students, such as Renner Williams, Kyle Berkshaw, and George
Patterson gravitated to Kendall Lewis's classroom as their safe haven.
Would it be okay with you, mister Lewis if we
had lunch in your room so we could study? Of course,
Soon a consistent group of six to eight boys gathered
at midday to prepare for upcoming exams. The boys became
fast friends, and while Kendall never intruded in their sessions,
he enjoyed knowing the boys felt comfortable in his room.
While they start studied, Kendall sat at his desk, eating
his lunch and grading papers. During the week of midterm exams,
the study group grew increasingly anxious about the chemistry test.
Jeremy Chrisman tried his best to tutor the other boys.
At the end of lunch two days before the exam,
Jeremy remained in Kendall's classroom after the other boys left.
Mister Lewis, can I speak with you? Definitely? What's going on?
I'm worried about Renner. He's so stressed about this test.
I don't feel like anything, I explained to him. Sticks
he's afraid he's gonna fail. As I've told you boys before,
we all fail. You don't understand, mister Lewis, we can't fail.
I know achievement is important to your parents and the school.
But with hard work, even if Renner fails this exam,
he can bring his grade back up. Jeremy wanted to
say something, but stopped. What is it I can't say,
mister Lewis, none of us can. Please believe me, though
this is Montgomery Academy, we can't fail. Our parents signed
contracts knowing the requirements and consequences of our failure. I
know the pressure on you is tremendous, but your parents
and the academy only put such high expectations on you
because they care and want you to have a good future.
Crestfallen by his failure to impress upon the man he admired,
Jeremy simply said thank you for listening, sir, as he
walked toward the door. Jeremy, yes, sir. The boy stopped
in the doorway and faced Kendall. You're a good friend
to worry about Renner, no matter what it will be okay.
Jeremy paused a moment, then walked into the hallway without
saying another word. Chemistry class took place the hour before
Literature and Composition one and two days later. Several of
the boys came to Kendall's class as emotional wrecks. Some
openly cried, all cast occasional glances at Renner Williams, who
sat nearly catatonic. A harsh rapping at the door broke
the silence in the room, causing the boys to jerk
in their seats. Kendall Lewis walked to his classroom door
and opened it. Head Master Fitzsimmons and two burly campus
security officers barged into the classroom. Horrified students watched as
the men grabbed Renner Williams by the arms and dragged
him from his desk. Finally shaken from his mental detachment,
Renner came out of his trance and begged for mercy.
Speaker 2: What is this.
Speaker 1: About, Kendall demanded, Please help me, mister Lewis, I failed
my chemistry example. Oh God, help me. There is no
reason for you to rough up a boy over a test,
Kendall said, as he tried to intervene, Fitzsimmons pushed him away.
You'd be served well, mister Lewis, to remember your place.
These boys, including mister Williams, knew the consequences of failure.
Now step aside, please, mister Lewis, they're going to kill me.
Calm down, Renner, this will be sorted out. Jeremy spoke up. No,
mister Lewis. Renner is right. His parents signed the contract.
The penalty for failure is death. That is not possible,
Fitzsimmons sneered to him. We have a long history of
excellence that must be upheld. Failure is never allowed at
Montgomery Academy. The parents know the conditions when they send
their sons here. We promise them great success in the world.
But they cannot fail. He motioned toward the door. Officers
take him away. The terrified screams of Renner Williams echoed
down the hallway and the stairs as they dragged him
away to pay his price. Thank you for joining me
for this episode of the Into the Night Anthology podcast.
Written by Caroline Giamanco, narrated by Nari Quak, Theme music
by Nico Rodriguez, all other original music, sound design and
editing by Omenhawk Studios. You can find our links in
the show notes Into the Night is on your favorite podcatcher,
so make sure to like, subscribe and leave a five
star review to help other excursionists to join us. I'll
see you next time, and remember, whether in the shadows
or in the daylight, all twisted paths lead you into
the night. Into the Night Anthology is a creative typo
entertainment production.
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