In 2010, I asked Matt Harding, whose “Where the Hell is Matt” video has been viewed over 50 million times on YouTube, to come meet my students. You’ve probably seen the video:
Back in 2010, I know I had seen it, as had pretty much all of my students at Puget Sound Community School in Seattle. Learning that the creator, Matt Harding, was in Seattle, I wrote to him to see if he’d be willing to come talk to them.
In fact, here’s that actual email thread:
From: Andy Smallman
Date: May 18, 2010 11:41:13 PM PDT
You’re in Seattle and I started a hip nonprofit middle & high school in Seattle. One thing we do at our hip school is expose our students to interesting people. You qualify. Care to come meet some students and talk about your life? You don’t even have to dance. Hell, talk about video games for all I care.
That’s all.
Andrew Smallman | Director
———————————–
From: Matthew Harding
Date: May 20, 2010 12:25:18 PM PDT
Hi Andrew
Sure. When would you like me to come?
-Matt
———————————–
From: Andy Smallman
Date: May 20, 2010 5:01:31 PM PDT
Wow!! Really?! That’s wonderful! Thank you!
By chance, would Tuesday morning, June 8th, around 10am work for you?? We’re in the International District at 7th & Dearborn, not far from Uwajimaya.
And I think you’ll appreciate knowing that I shared your video with the students & staff at the end of the school day today and then shared your email response below (part of my “lesson” on asking what you want), and the room erupted with excitement.
Thanks again! I look forward to hearing back from you.
–Andy
———————————–
From: Matthew Harding
Date: May 21, 2010 3:20:53 AM PDT
Sure. I will put it in my calendar. But please send me a reminder a day or two before, just in case. I forgot one morning and slept in, leaving kids waiting for 45 minutes and I felt TERRIBLE.
I like that lesson. Glad I could help show your students that sometimes it’s that easy 🙂
-Matt
———————————–
From: Andy Smallman
Date: May 21, 2010 3:18:17 PM PDT
Matt,
Outstanding! And I’m happy to remind you. Consider this your first reminder:
WHEN: June 8, 2010, 10–11am
WHERE: Puget Sound Community School, 660 S Dearborn St, Seattle 98134
DIRECTIONS: http://www.pscs.org/directions.htm
Go for what you want. Ask for what you want. Be bold! That is THE lesson of our school. Imagine a school based on that, or in which that and its manifestations becomes the operative purpose and you’ll start to understand us. We just had a local band onsite performing and they invited students to jam with them. It was magical. We had a guy from France in last September who is walking around the world and happened to be in Seattle. One of our students interviewed a MacArthur Genius Award recipient (kindergarten teacher Vivian Paley) for a project.
We surround our students with cool and interesting people and let the chips fall where they may.
See you on the 8th!
–Andy
———————————–
Matt was a great speaker. He talked about his work as a video game designer and how he started the little dance routine that became an Internet sensation. And, yes, he did invite the students to do his dance with him; in fact, he filmed it. Learn more about what Matt’s up to these days on his website.
The lesson here is to be bold, to ask for what you want. The answer often is yes.
When you don’t ask, the answer is always no.
Andy Smallman 