Bryan Kett

I used to teach high school science in Chicago.

And at first, I was really just energized and optimistic about everything.

And after a few years, I just got so burnt out.

I'm not really proud of that, but I never felt appreciated.

No one ever thanked me for anything.

I know that's not the point of education, but I was young.

I was just running very low.

I would buy lab materials for my classes with my own money, and then they would refuse to participate and just say, this is dumb.

We're not doing that.

And I would try to make the curriculum really engaging, only for them just to call nucleic acids nucleic asses, which is pretty clever.

And I would even host these after-school study sessions that they would ask for in preparation of a test.

I would bring snacks, and then no one would show up.

And then during the test, kids would raise their hands to ask ridiculous questions.

A kid once asked me, this is true, once asked me, how do you spell DNA?

And so...

I was really just low, right?

And I knew that I had to get away, I had to recharge, but I didn't have any money to take a trip anywhere.

Spent it all on lab supplies.

And I told this to my coworker, Shelby.

And Shelby said, why don't you come camping with us this weekend?