Fifth Period: Lessons from a Lifetime in the Classroom

He walked into a classroom nobody wanted: the dreaded fifth period. 28 years later, he wrote the definitive guide on shaping young minds. In this episode of People of Distinction, retired educator Melvin Wendell Gates opens up about the students who changed him, the burnout that almost broke him, and why he believes every child is a gift, no exceptions. From surviving COVID-era classrooms to a former student who still texts him on his birthday, this conversation is a raw tribute to the teachers we underappreciate the most. Pick up Melvin's memoir, Fifth Period, and join the conversation about the educators who quietly built who we are today.