There’s a growing mindset among educators that worries me — especially within EMS and technical college settings. Too many instructors begin the semester already defeated. They walk into the classroom with phrases like:
“This generation is soft.”
“They don’t want to work.”
“We’re just lowering the standards so anyone can pass.”
But here’s the truth I want to challenge us all with:
👉 Being critical is easy. Being supportive is hard. And teaching requires the courage to choose support over cynicism.
Lowering the Grade Isn’t Lowering the Standard
Recently, our school shifted the passing percentage from 79% to 73%. You’d think the world ended by the reaction some people had.
But let’s be clear:
✅ Our standards haven’t changed.
✅ Our competency expectations are still firm.
✅ Our skills testing hasn’t softened one bit.
What has changed is how we structure grading — giving us room to evaluate more fairly and account for different learning strengths. A student who struggles on written multiple-choice but aces psychomotor testing should not be treated the same as someone who simply isn’t trying.
The passing number is not what determines if someone will be a safe and effective EMT — their mindset, skills, and willingness to grow do.
Negativity Is Not a Teaching Strategy
I hear instructors say, “If they can’t handle stress in the classroom, how will they handle the field?”
But let’s pause right there.
Our job isn’t to be the chaos — it’s to prepare them for it.
We don’t need to tear students down to make them “tough.” We can hold them accountable and support them at the same time. That’s not weakness — that’s leadership.
You can be strict and kind.
You can demand excellence while offering grace.
You can correct without humiliating.
The best instructors aren’t the ones who create fear — they’re the ones who build trust.
Growth Doesn’t Always Happen on the First Try
Some of the most capable EMTs and firefighters I know didn’t pass everything on their first attempt. Some failed twice. Some had to walk away, gain maturity, then come back stronger.
And I’ll be honest — I’ve been wrong before. I’ve had students who I thought would never make it, and I’ve later watched them turn into phenomenal providers.
Failure is not the end — it’s a checkpoint.
Some just need more time. More guidance. More chances.
If someone is still showing up — still trying — we owe them our best before we write them off.
We’re Not Just Teaching Skills — We’re Modeling the Profession
Every time we speak about students — whether in front of them or behind closed doors — we are teaching them what leadership looks like.
Ask yourself:
- Do we want to raise providers who complain — or who solve problems?
- Do we want medics who judge — or medics who mentor?
- Are we training responders — or gatekeepers?
Because if we sit in the back of the classroom rolling our eyes, muttering “these kids will never make it,” then we’ve already failed our mission.
The Real Call to Action
Technical schools are not “lesser options.” They are launchpads. And we are the ones who control the trajectory.
Let’s stop guarding the doorway and start guiding the pathway.
Let’s choose encouragement over ego.
Let’s be the instructors we wish we had.
Because at the end of the day — if we don’t believe in them, how can we expect them to believe in themselves?
Rescue EdVentures 
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