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Should Teachers Criticize Students During Commencement?

"You're not special."

Those words fired up the internet when English teacher David McCollough, Jr., gave the commencement speech to the graduating seniors at Wellesley High School in Massachusetts. The Youtube video alone has generated more than half a million views.

The speech was witty and well-written. But was he too harsh on the "pampered, cosseted, doted upon, helmeted, bubble-wrapped" students often rescued by "maternal caped crusaders?"

The Swellesley Report ran a transcript of the speech. And the Washington Post's Answer Sheet and on the Huffington Post posted columns about it.

What do you think? Was McCollough right? Or unnecessarily hard on his students? Should a teacher make statements like theis?

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Lori Crouch on June 13, 2012 at 1:52pm

And TIME Magazine ran a responsefrom Harvard College administrator Erika Christakis.

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Permalink Reply by Cathie M. Currie, Ph.D. on June 14, 2012 at 1:23am

I think he offered an appropriate challenge, which was delivered with warmth and humor. I assume his students know his personality and that the speech was consistent with his teaching style. It would be very interesting to find out more about his teaching, as to whether he is effective in helping students move beyond standard rote learning.

The subtext of his talk is an argument against American exceptionalism. It's brave of him to put that bit of thinking on the examining table.

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Permalink Reply by Cathy Grimes on June 14, 2012 at 3:53pm

I suspect his students and the school knew his personality and his sense of humor. I also do not think his words were a big surprise to the students. It was a good speech. And it was refreshing. I did not find him critical of students, really. We've had several discussions about this speech, and most of us in the newsroom found ourselves wishing we heard more such addresses offered to students. Interestingly, colleagues teenage children thought it was pretty good, too.