Failing History

I believe in failing history. Rack up the detentions, and move on with life. A+ are pretty for your resume, but may not be perfect for your life. It took me a long time to learn that lesson, but now that I know, I’ll never forget. Sometimes a C is more important for growth than an A, sometimes standing head on to face a challenge and choosing your path is more important than walking the road of perfection. One teacher taught me this, one of my favorite teachers, and thanks to him I know now that to pass history class, you must fail. 

When I was in middle school I had a teacher who changed my life. He pushed me to my limits, and he pushed me to fail. He believed in revolution, he believed in the underdog, and he believed in subversion. Everyday he was in class he taught me a new life lesson. Everyday we were together we argued, and we fought to defend points, we discussed deeper matters, and I grew. My final test for him came one day when I did not expect it. There was no date on that summative, or direct path to an A+, only a moral challenge that I would soon fail. It was a substitute teacher, who, in spite of direct instructions from our history teacher, was taking the lesson plans his own way. A contract that he brought out in front of the class and forced us to sign, a contract that said we would behave. Anyone who didn’t sign the contract would have their name put on the board for detention. We didn’t know that the names on the board meant nothing, and the punishment would never come, only the version of reality laid out before us. Comply, or face the consequences.

The next day our history teacher was back to find no names on the board, and a bunch of kids complaining about being forced to sign a contract. I had failed the final test of everything he had taught me, and I didn’t even know it. I complained, saying I was too scared of punishment to stand up for what I believed in. He looked me in the eyes and told me that detentions are a compliment when they come for standing up for what’s right. He told me that even if a college was looking for a perfect record, they’d appreciate someone with a backbone, someone with morals. He told me that if the only detention I ever got was for standing up for something right,I would be three steps ahead of anyone with no detentions at all. All his lessons on revolution had flown right over my head until that moment. He was telling me then to put up a fight, not let myself be bossed around in the name of perfection. He was telling me to be stronger than those who thought they were above me, and to prove to them that I wouldn’t let myself be pushed around. He told me that if no one stood tall to fight against anything we had no hope of keeping history from repeating itself.

I passed his class with a 4.0, but I know I failed that test. That test that would show him how strong I was able to hold against the storm, the test that showed how strong I had grown into my own morals. That is why I believe in failing history. Get the detention that proves you are strong, take the punishment that shows you stood up for yourself. Don’t be scared of punishment, and don’t be scared to fail, because sometimes failing is the only way to pass.

“I love old books” by fa11ing_away is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.