Student falls asleep in class, teacher responds in most compassionate way ever
Today’s students are often over-scheduled to an insane degree, usually carrying a full class load while balancing extracurricular activities, part-time jobs, home responsibilities, and homework. But that doesn’t mean most teachers are cool with their students falling asleep in class. However, one high school English teacher reacted in the most unexpected — and compassionate — way when he noticed one of his students snoozing during a lecture…as in, he let her sleep.
Monte Syrie, a teacher at Cheney High School in Cheney, Washington, took to Twitter to share the story, and his tweets have since gone viral, with many applauding him for his understanding and common-sense approach to the situation.
Syrie explained that he decided not to wake his student, a girl named Meg, because he knew she was balancing chores, schoolwork, athletics, and “adolescent angst,” adding, “My class is only a part of her life, not her life.”
He added, "No, she did not use her time wisely in class yesterday. She didn't get her essay turned in. She knew that. I knew that, but I didn't beat her up about it."
Meg fell asleep in class yesterday. I let her. I didn't take it personally. She has zero-hour math, farm-girl chores, state-qualifying 4X400 fatigue, adolescent angst, and various other things to deal with. My class is only a part of her life, not her life. No, she did not use
— Monte Syrie (@MonteSyrie) May 16, 2018
her time wisely in class yesterday. She didn't get her essay turned in. She knew that. I knew that, but I didn't beat her up about it. Didn't have to. She emailed it to me last night at 9:00 PM. On her own. I know we all somewhat subscribe to this notion that there's a right way
— Monte Syrie (@MonteSyrie) May 16, 2018
of doing things, and letting kids sleep in class falls outside the boundaries. I get it, and I'm not suggesting that we make it a permanent part of repertoire /routine, but I am suggesting that we sometimes trust our instincts, even if it goes against the grain, maybe especially
— Monte Syrie (@MonteSyrie) May 16, 2018
if it goes against the grain, for I am not always convinced the grain best considers kids. In a different room, Meg may have been written up for sleeping in class and given a zero for a missing essay, but she wasn't in a different room; she was in my room. My room.
— Monte Syrie (@MonteSyrie) May 16, 2018
Syrie went on to explain that Meg turned in her essay “on her own” that night at 9 p.m., adding that in another class she might have been written up for falling asleep, or received a failing grade for missing the deadline—but he wanted to “give her a break.”
And in my room there are lots of things I CAN do. I can't control the world outside. I can't offer Meg a math class later in the day. I cannot feed her horses (many horses) in the morning or evening. I cannot run 6 race-pace 300's for her. I cannot spirit away her teen trouble.
— Monte Syrie (@MonteSyrie) May 16, 2018
He added, “She was not being rude or disrespectful yesterday when she nodded off. She was tired. So I gave her a break. I can do that.”
But I can give her a break. She was not being rude or disrespectful yesterday when she nodded off. She was tired. So I gave her a break. I can do that. And I want to believe, I have to believe–else my life is a lie, that it will come back in the end. And it did. Meg got her
— Monte Syrie (@MonteSyrie) May 16, 2018
essay done. In fact, serendipitously, she proudly told me so when I ran into her at the grocery store at 6:45 this morning. She was getting some breakfast before her 7:10 math class. She'd been up since 5:00 doing chores. #myroom #project180
— Monte Syrie (@MonteSyrie) May 16, 2018
Syrie ran into Meg at the grocery store the next day at 6:45 a.m., where she explained she’d been up since five in the morning getting chores done.
The world can always use a little more kindness and understanding, and we, too, are applauding. Thank you, Mr. Syrie!
