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